Swords and Shields
by Old Iron
Summary: No one could have anticipated the chain of events stemming from that cool Autumn night. That night where a sword came upon a shield.
1. Under the Stars

One of many plot bunnies that wont leave me alone and continue to prevent work on Absence and Aftermath.

As always, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are appreciated.

EDIT: 01/17/12: Fixed a few things, primarily with how Signum addressees Yuuno.

- Story Start -

It was perhaps an hour after dinner at the Yagami household. The sun had set and the artificial moon was beginning to rise from the far east corner of the TSAB HQ. All was calm as the family wound down from a hard day at work.

Hayate was lounging on the couch, a science fiction novel in hand and an intense look in her eyes. The hero of the story had managed to infiltrate the enemy space station, only to be captured by a traitorous subordinate. She was humming with excitement as she turned the pages.

Next to the couch was Zafira, curled up in his wolf form and gnawing on a bone. Some might consider it unusual or even a bit insulting for such a mighty blue wolf to be chewing on a femur like some common house-pet, but he had taken a liking to it. Personally, he blamed Arf for this. She had been the one to introduce him to the finer points of bone-chewing and now he enjoyed it too much to stop.

Vita had sat herself down at the family computer to play some games with Zwei. Normally the fiery redhead wouldn't play such 'time-consuming wastes of code', as she so stated before, but Zwei seemed to like them and it never hurt to bond a little over wholesale digital slaughter. One might even think that the Iron Hammer Knight was enjoying the game itself as her thunder hammer caved in the head of another chaos marine. Zwei seemed to favor distance and continued to pick off anything that was beyond the range of her Lord's mighty hammer. The duo giggled after a particularly amusing kill.

Shamal had curled up on the chair opposite Hayate with an array of colored twine and a pair of long needles. In her lap was a half-completed sweater that seemed to have been undone and redone numerous times. Still, her perseverance in the face of clumsiness was commendable. One would be amazed to see such fumbling fingers work their well tuned magic in the field of medicine.

At the kitchen table stood the fifth member of the family, busying herself with a small satchel. First into the lavender satchel was a small porcelain cup that was white with a blue flower print along the outer edge. Joining that was a heated canister, a bottle to match the cup and filled with warm sake. Lastly was a short novel whose edges were well worn and the cover faded from use. No one save Signum could tell you the title of the book now.

The satchel's latch clicked shut, prompting a look from Hayate. The Mistress of the Tome of the Night Sky turned her head so that she could see her General of Fire more clearly. "Heading out?"

Nodding to the rhetorical question, Signum placed the black strap of the satchel over her shoulder. "I should not be out too late, Lady Hayate."

It had become a odd custom as of late for the pink haired Knight. Every other friday night after dinner, she would gather up some warm sake and a book, and head out. She would make her way to a nearby park or a place with a good view of the artificial stars. There she would sit down and read, drinking her sake and enjoying the silent night air. On rare occasion, someone would join her, usually Zafira or Hayate.

She had been questioned about it at first, by Vita to be specific. Signum had explained that she simply wanted some time to herself. The redhead had been skeptical, but Hayate had intervened on behalf of the pinkette. Her Mistress had stated that everyone wanted or needed some alone time every now and them. It seemed to placate the second shortest Wolkenritter.

Of course, Hayate had gone into a more in depth questioning later, falling into her 'Mother-Hen' mode. Signum had answered all questions dutifully and assured her Mistress that nothing was wrong and that she wasn't doing anything dangerous. It was simply a small change of pace and scenery. No matter how much time passed, Hayate would always view the Wolkenritter as her beloved children and worry about their well being.

Hayate gave a smile from her position on the couch. "You always are, but still. Be safe."

"Of course, Lady Hayate," replied Signum with a smile of her own as she made her way to the front door. Turning and bowing as she always did before leaving, "By your leave."

A chorus of farewells and bidding of safety preceded her exit. An explosion sounded in the background, followed by Vita swearing violently, broke the serenity of the departure. Something about about corn?

Paying it no mind, Signum began walking down the concrete path. The night air was crisp and the leaves well into their annual change of color color, a sign of Autumn being underway. While wholly unnecessary, the TSAB had taken the steps to replicate the seasons at their headquarters. They based the timing off of Mid Childan seasons so that residents at the massive inter-dimensional space-station would feel more conformable living there.

As a chill breeze blew by, the General of Fire was glad she'd worn the attire she had. Thick jeans and a magenta sweater beneath her tan trench-coat. One of Shamal's hand-made scarves wrapped comfortably around her neck. It was an earlier attempt at knitting and showed, but the General of Fire loved it all the same. Red in color with a oddly shaped sword at one end, she supposed it was an attempt to recreate Laevatein.

Tonight she had decided to take the long trek to one of the training fields. It would require taking one of the twenty-four hour buses, but it was worth it in the end. The open training fields rarely had anyone using them late at night and had a wonderful view of the stars. It was a good place to gather one's thoughts, simply enjoy the view, or in her case, read a book with a warm drink.

The bus ride was uneventful for the stoic beauty, its driver and scant few passengers making no attempt at small talk. She offered her thanks to the driver as she disembarked, a gesture he seemed to appreciate with a small smile.

As Signum walked down the paved pathway that connected the numerous fields, she noticed in the distance that one was being used. The flashes of light and lancing of a frequently deployed energy beam pierced the night sky. The tactical portion of her mind noticed that the magic was notably one-sided. Perhaps target practice or a purely melee mage? At the very least, the magic seemed rather potent from this distance.

She did enjoy watching the younger generation train themselves. It was heartening to see them push their limits to become more skilled and drive towards the impossibility of perfection. Vita had once asked her why she didn't try combat instruction if she liked seeing the greenhorns improve themselves. Signum's answer had been that she was far too much of a 'combat-junkie' to properly instruct. She had cited her sparring match with Nanoha as an example.

That had become somewhat of a legendary bout between the two. What had started as a simple sparring match had quickly evolved into a high end fight and then devolved into a bloody war of attrition as they began pulling out all the stops to defeat the other.

The General of Fire smiled fondly at the memory. The brief hospital stay and Lady Hayate's scolding afterwards had been worth it. Nanoha had thought so as well.

Thoughts straying more towards the lone combatant than her planned alone-time, Signum subconsciously began walking towards the training field. Perhaps she could enjoy her drink while watching the person train rather than risk having her favorite book fall apart again.

As she approached the training field, the situation began to become more clear. The combatant was not the one casting the spells, rather a target drone had taken up that duty to pepper the unknown mage with a myriad of powerful beams. The lack of counter attack indicated that the mage was probably one who specialized in defense rather than offense. The sounds of battle became louder as the drone increased its offensive measures.

When Signum reached the outer perimeter of the field, she got her first clue as to the identity of the mage. The lights were slightly dimmed in the field and defensive spellwork had been next to nonexistent. When the drone's beams lanced out in a way to trap the mage, a familiar green hued shield sprung into existence, nullifying the attack with ease.

"Scrya?" spoke the pinkette questioningly to herself. This was unusual. The Head Librarian rarely used the training fields by himself, claiming that the drones were too predictable to properly train himself. It would sound like a boast to most lower ranked mages. However to a skilled combatant, it was unfortunately true. Hence why many of the more skilled mages preferred to spar against another mage, preferably one of similar or greater skill.

Judging by the amount of movement he was doing, Yuuno was either practicing footwork or something had disturbed him enough to become careless in his motions. From past experience, she was certain that the former was the case. While agility was certainly something good to have, Signum never saw it fitting well into the librarian's combat style. He was too sturdy, too unbending, like a stone mountain.

It was always fun to see just how far she had to push herself to break his defenses. That she was capable of doing so was something that irritated Vita to no end. It more lay in Signum's ability to overwhelm Yuuno's guard rather than punching straight through it, as Vita attempted to do.

Noting that she had remained unnoticed, Signum sat down on a bench beyond the field's protection and took out the container keeping the sake warm from the satchel. Removing the bottle and cup, she poured herself some of the warmed alcohol and took a sip. Warmth flooded her veins as the clear liquid flowed down her throat. Rather than entertaining herself alone with a novel, she found herself observing a friend delving into battle.

Perhaps ten minutes or so had gone by. The frequency that Yuuno was using his shields had increased dramatically. It seemed that almost every new motion he tried after using his defenses led him further away from his intended practice. Perhaps frustration was setting in or he'd simply gotten stuck in a rut from fighting against a machine.

Signum decided that she'd had enough watching the skilled librarian demean himself against such a meager opponent. Draining what was left in the porcelain cup, she stood from the bench and approached the field.

Yuuno's growing irritation with his regression in progress was cut away as the drone went into standby, displaying a warning about unauthorized field access while the lights returned to full illumination. It was a safety measure in case someone stumbled into the field by accident. He received quite the surprise when he turned to see who had arrived. "Signum?"

"Good evening, Scrya. I had not expected anyone to be out here at this hour, much less yourself." Signum took a good look at the man now that the lighting was back up to full power. She could see the sweat dripping down his face, but he did not seem too exhausted. He certainly had stamina to go with his drive, that was true. His blonde hair had been braided to keep from falling out of its bindings too easily and his Barrier Jacket showed the occasional scuff from a failed block or evasion.

Canceling the drone's program, Yuuno sent it back to storage while replying. "Evening, Signum. I hadn't expected anyone else out here either. I usually do this on Thursday nights and its pretty barren out here."

So this was a common practice for him then? "I saw that you were trying to rely less on your defensive spells."

"Ahaha... You saw that then," he replied with a small laugh of embarrassment. "I've been trying to improve my footwork so I can be more mobile on the field."

Signum nodded in approval, crossing her arms as she did so. "A wise decision. While your static defenses are superb, it never hurts to be more fleet of foot. It will certainly give you a better edge in our matches."

"I can only hope." A smile was on his face as he wiped his brow. Yuuno then turned the conversation towards the General of Fire. "How about yourself. What's got you out here so late, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I occasionally like to enjoy a book under the stars," she replied calmly. Before Yuuno could ask what kinds of books she enjoyed, not wanting that little bit of information out quite yet, Signum posed an offer to the man. "Would you prefer to test your mettle against a human opponent?"

Yuuno was indeed curious as to what manner of book would entice the General of Fire, but decided not to press at the moment. Particularly when Signum had withdrawn the sword pendant from her long coat, her device's resting mode. A grin of anticipation broke out on his features. "I would be honored if you would be my opponent, General of Blazing Fire: Knight Signum," requested the librarian while using Signum's proper title. Sure, he was feeling a little worn, but it would be a good handicap and good experience. You couldn't always fight at your best and alongside giants like her, Nanoha, Hayate, and the rest, he needed all the experience he could get.

An excited glint of fire appeared in Signum's eyes at Yuuno's words. "I accept, Head Librarian of the Infinity Library: Yuuno Scrya." It didn't have the same ring as her own title, but she responded in kind. "Laevatein."

"JAHWOL," shouted the device as the woman's body was enveloped in a pink glow. Not even a second later, the light dissipated and revealed the fearsome battle-ready form of the Wolkenritter's General with Laevatein sheathed in hand.

It was not the first time that Yuuno was struck by her beauty. He doubted that it would be the last. Many would compare women to flowers, precious jewels, or other such pretty items. Such comparisons all failed before Signum. To Yuuno Scrya, Signum was not some white lily in a field. Something lovely to be admired and caressed delicately lest it be damaged. No, the woman he was about to battle with was a weapon. A razor edged blade whose true magnificence could be seen in the flash of steel, the searing heat of fire, and the spray of crimson blood. Battle was where she shone through and the fine line between life and death was where the was most magnificent.

Though his home was amongst ancient tomes and ancient ruins with pen in hand. His place of comfort among lost civilizations. He felt that a Signum in the heat of battle was the most radiant Signum of all.

"Shall we begin?" queried Signum, the hiss of metal ringing out in the cool air as Laevatein was freed from its confinement.

Shaking off extraneous thought, the blonde man nodded.

There was a momentary pause as the field went silent and then nothing but motion.

Signum struck first, hard and fast, with a one-handed strike. Laevatein's white edge drawing a spray of sparks against the powerful green shield put up by Yuuno. The shield angled to the side and the blade slid past, an array of chains bursting from the hole created in the defenses by the motion. The reaction forced Signum to spin on her heel lest she be bound.

The spin preceded another vicious strike that drove Yuuno back, unable to deploy a shield to defend against it. Signum was hot on his tail, each strike against his shields echoing through the field. A shower of sparks brightened the arena whenever they clashed. Chains would fly from holes in Yuuno's defenses whenever he could manage a counterattack, only to be cut down by Laevatein's razor edge. Other binds would pour from holes in space, each cut down by the General's superior skill.

Yuuno found himself unable to press any advantage he could find. Signum closed any hole in her defenses far too quickly to capitalize on. Her strikes too fast and numerous to follow on the few counters he managed.

He could feel it in her strikes as their match went on. The fire was beginning to fade, a reflection of his inability to press her to a higher plane of battle. Certainly, the bout was inflicting knowledge upon his body, but what about her? What about Signum's desire for combat? Yes, she offered to assist him, but couldn't he do something to repay her?

A switch flipped in Yuuno's mind. Why did his shields have to only stop a strike? Knights of old did not just defend with those towers of iron. No, they crushed. They smashed. They broke swords and shattered pikes. It was something he had known, but never truly understood until now. Couldn't his shields do the same? Couldn't he take the fight to Signum? His eyes narrowed.

Signum's fire from earlier had trouble staying lit. Yuuno was just too tired, it seemed, to give her a proper battle. At the very least, when he was fresh, he could push her to overcome his defenses. Burn through a full set of cartridges at his best. A stalwart bulwark against any foe. However right now, the blonde seemed more molehill than mountain. His drive was still there, but it wasn't enough to match her desire.

That finally changed when Yuuno did something wholly unexpected. Rearing his hand back as was the norm for his summoning of directed chain binds, that hand did not open. As Laevatein was stopped by another shield, that hand became a solid fist. That fist glowed faintly green before a shield of similar color erupted into front of the appendage.

Laevatein's sheath stopped the small shield for a moment before Signum felt herself hurled backwards with terrific force. The Knight impacted near the opposite wall of the field with a mighty crash, sending dust into the air. Standing from the unexpected bow, the fire returned to Signum's eyes. She saw her opponent still standing, fist outstretched and a slightly bewildered look on his face. He was learning, adapting, overcoming.

As Yuuno watched Signum pick herself up with ease, he had trouble believing that his impromptu offense had worked. It had been a hasty maneuver with a modification to his Round Shield. Repel instead of halt, smaller instead of larger, and movement. Apply repulsion to motion and they compounded on one another.

A small voice in the back of his head asked him, 'Why are you standing there?' Why, indeed, Yuuno Scrya? The librarian lunged.

Now the exchange had intensified. Yuuno's experimental offense paired with tried and true defense clashed against Signum's expertly skilled and finely honed existence in battle. He never managed to land another such blow during their battle, but it had intensified greatly.

The entire match lasted perhaps no more than five minutes before Yuuno's strength gave out. He was on his knees with Laevatein pressed against a flickering shield, sweat pouring down his face. "I yield." The device ceased it's pressure and the blonde collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily. His Barrier Jacket was torn in some places and looked all the worse for wear. It dissipated, revealing green sweatpants and a sweatshirt of matching color.

Signum, for her part, hadn't even broken a sweat. At best, Yuuno had managed to scuff her armor in a few places, but nothing close to what he could do at his best. "Not bad, Scrya. That first strike was quite impressive." Her armor vanished, returning the woman to her civilian garb from earlier and Laevatein going into standby.

"Too bad I couldn't land it again," bemoaned the librarian as he took Signum's offered hand, allowing her to help him up. "I wanted to at least give you some fun in that bout."

Signum smiled at his admission. "I appreciate the sentiment." She gestured towards the bench where her satchel rested and he joined her, grabbing a water bottle by the field entrance that she had apparently missed.

The two sat in relative silence for a moment. Yuuno offered Signum some water, which she declined and stated that he needed it far more than she. He accepted her refusal and drained a good portion of the liquid.

"I am curious, Scrya. What prompted your sudden offense, besides your desire to push me while in such a state." Signum poured herself a cup of still warm sake as she asked this. She make a wordless offering of some to her companion, who politely refused.

Setting down the water bottle, Yuuno answered. "You could bash someone with an iron shield, so why not a magical one?" An embarrassed grin appeared on his face. "I just never thought about it until now."

Signum smiled. "With polish, that could become quite a formidable tactic."

"I have a lot of polishing ahead of me then..." A yawn broke off his words as the weariness from the day and the combined battle and training began to work its way through his body.

"Polish that should wait for another night, perhaps?" She poured the last of her drink into the delicate cup and offered it to Yuuno, who accepted the cup and drank a portion of the burning liquid before returning it. Signum swirled the remaining sake as if contemplating her next words carefully. "If you do not mind, I would like to work alongside you in developing this technique."

Yuuno seemed surprised at the request. "Pardon?"

"I realize that I am not well suited to instruction and that Zafira would be more familiar with your style of combat..." Signum trailed off, realizing that she was not making a very good case for herself. Truthfully, the pinkette wanted to see more of this ability. To her recollection, she had never seen anyone utilize shield and barrier spells like that. There were plenty of offensive spells to augment melee capability, so why bother converting a shield into something that did the same?

The possibilities of shield augmentation developing into new forms of combat was tempting to the General. It would be something completely unknown to fight against. Something unknown to push that border between life and death even closer. Combat junkie indeed.

"Actually... You would be best for this, Signum," spoke Yuuno after a pause, hand on his chin in contemplation.

Now it was Signum who wore the surprise, albeit far more reserved than the blonde's. "Pardon?"

"If I worked with Zafira, we'd probably get results faster... But we'd be less likely to develop something that works the way I think I may want this to. Even if he is more offensive in nature, we're too similar in style." Yuuno's eyes had narrowed as his mind set to explaining his reasoning. "Vita or Nanoha would be good at instructing, but there isn't any need to develop this kind of spell for fighting against them. You, however, would be perfect."

"What do you mean?" Would she actually have a chance to fight against his fledgling and unknown skill? To help develop it into a proper foe?

The grin of realization spread across the librarian's features. It was the same one he wore when he finally tracked down that last piece of the puzzle amongst hundreds of ancient tomes. "Combat-wise, you are my natural enemy, Signum. You break my shields faster than anyone else who can and I'm pretty sure I've only ever managed to get in a proper counter against you a mere handful of times."

"And who better to teach you how to defeat someone than the person you are aiming to defeat?" Signum queried with a raised eyebrow.

Yuuno shook his head, his mind going a mile a minute. "Not quite what I mean, but close. The way I see it, is if we develop something that lets the shield use a spear, then the spear has to learn how to use a shield. Both will learn new ways of getting around the other, constantly evolving over time."

"So we'd both benefit from this venture..." Now that she thought about it, it could work and she would get her fights. Plus, if she improved from working with Yuuno, then everyone else they fought would have to improve and the battles would get even more wonderful. If it weren't for her calm and stoic demeanor, the General of Fire would have been drooling in anticipation.

"If you're still willing, I'd like to take you up on that offer, Signum." If nothing else, Yuuno was always enthusiastic about learning something. Even if it was learning how to turn a shield into a deadly bludgeon.

Signum downed the remaining sake in her cup. "I would be a fool to back out now," she responded with an eager smile.

A beep from Yuuno watch brought the pair's attention away from their plans and noticed that it was now midnight. "Um, wow... I didn't know it was this late. Would you like a ride home? I drove here and it is rather chilly."

"Is not your home in the opposite direction?" questioned Signum as she gathered her things. "I would not want to impose."

He waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Don't worry about it. Its not that far." Truthfully, it was actually a rather large distance. It was still the gentlemanly thing to do in his mind.

She acquiesced to his offer with a smile. "Thank you, Scrya."

They walked to his car in a comfortable silence that remained during the drive to the Yagami residence. As Signum stepped out of the car, Yuuno asked something he had been curious about since earlier that evening. "If you don't mind my asking, Signum, what kinds of books do you like to read?"

Thinking to the well worn book in her satchel, a romance novel that was one of her guilty pleasures, a slight tinge of embarrassment colored her cheeks that most anyone would attribute the the cold. It was not something she really wanted known outside of her family. Finally deciding on a response, she leaned back into the car. "If all goes well in our work, I shall tell you. Thank you for the ride, Scrya. I shall call you later and we can arrange a time to meet. Is that acceptable?"

"Sure thing, and thanks for everything," the Head Librarian replied with a smile, even more curious about the pinkette's choice in reading. "Good night, Signum."

"Good night, Scrya. Drive safely." She shut the car door and he was off.

Turning towards the front door, she walked the few steps to the threshold. Signum stepped through the open doorway with a soft call announcing her return, shedding her large coat as she did so. The house was dark, so she did not want to make a racket and wake anyone.

Carefully making her way up the stairs to her room, she made sure to avoid that one creaky step that Vita often hit when going for a late-night snack. Quietly disrobing and changing into her pajamas, Signum curled up in bed while allowing a smile to grace her features. Images of wonderful battles to come and new fights danced in her head as sleep claimed the General of Fire.


	2. A Glorious Smile

After much work in the forge, The Ironworks is shipping out chapter 2. I was originally unsure if this was going to be a multi-chapter work or a oneshot, but I started feeling that this story could be expanded further and I was getting a lot of ideas that wouldn't fit into Absence or Aftermath. Plus, it lets me have more fun with Signum.

As per the norm, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are always welcome.

EDIT: 01/17/12: Fixed a few things, primarily with how Signum addressees Yuuno.

- Chapter Start -

Even though she had arrived home late and was fortunate enough to not be required to report in that day, Signum still rose early as ever. She sat up in bed with a slight yawn while blinking the sleep from her eyes. Her normally well kept pink hair poked out at odd angles in places, giving the impression of a restless night. She stared at the far wall for a minute or so before pulling off the covers and getting out of bed. The carpeted floor felt wonderful between her toes.

Still, that moment of morning comfort had to end at some point. Signum gathered her clothing for the day and made her way to the large family bath. When purchasing a house on the massive colony, Lady Hayate had insisted on the home having a traditional Japanese bath. Or at least enough space to install one. None of the Knights had any objections.

Bathing in the Yagami household was often an event that included the entire family, with the obvious exception of Zafira. However in the mornings, bath participation tended to be a bit more scattered in participation owing to work schedules and varying times of waking. No one else was a awake so far as Signum could tell at the moment.

Since she was often the first one awake, it usually fell on Signum to ready the bath for the day. Disrobing, she set her pajamas in the laundry and gathered her bathing supplies from a basket with her name written on it. There was a winking caricature of her head next to the letters, a product of Rein's attempts at personalizing the sign. With her clothing for the day deposited in the now empty basket, she entered the bath.

The room was nice and clean as it had been Zafira's turn to scrub down the room yesterday and the Guardian Beast was quite thorough in his task. Signum set down her supplies by a faucet and then proceeded to begin filling the large tub with hot water. It would take quite some time for the vessel to fill, so she sat down and began to wash herself.

As she went through the process of shampooing her long pink hair, Signum thought back to last night. Her match with Yuuno had hardly been noteworthy. Just a low-end training match against someone who was already exhausted. She had no doubts that the man had done everything in his power to combat her, but he had been too worn out from his earlier exercises to reach par for their normal matches.

While the bouts between herself and Yuuno were not nearly as epic a spectacle as those against another member of the Wolkenritter, Fate, or Nanoha, they still created quite the spectacle. Chains and fire flying about like some hellish scene from a horror movie, with sparks flying from every meeting between his shields and her sword.

Filling her bucket from the faucet, Signum upended the container of water over her head to wash away the significant amount of lather in her hair. She idly twirled a few of the wet strands between her fingers, examining them for split ends. A warrior she may be, but she was still a woman who took care in her appearance. Deeming her hair to be in good condition and not needing any kind of special action, Signum grasped another bottle and popped the top open. The faint aroma of cinnamon reached her nose as she discovered that Shamal had bought her a different scent of conditioner.

Signum began to work the white colored cream into her pink locks, enjoying the smell as she did so. It took less time than shampooing and soon another bucket of warm water was called upon to rinse Signum's mane clean.

Taking up a cloth and soap, Signum started washing the rest of her shapely body. It was an unconscious set of actions as they had been repeated so often to almost become second nature. The pinkette idly wondered when the rest of the family would awaken. Then again, it was a Saturday and none of them had anything scheduled so far as she knew. Perhaps they were enjoying much sought after extra sleep.

Vita would likely be the last one to awaken. For all her drive and hatred of wasted time, the diminutive redhead hardly missed an opportunity to sleep in. It was something that Nanoha, Lady Hayate, and sometimes Rein had taken advantage of in the past. Signum fondly recalled the Iron Hammer Knight waking up one morning with whiskers drawn on her face. The memory brought a chuckle to Signum.

Rein tended to take after her Lord, but not to such an extreme degree.

Signum recalled that Lady Hayate usually woke soon after her. Not only because she had taken it upon herself to dominate the kitchen and prevent and fires, but also so that she could have more time to wake up and bathe. If ever there was an example of someone who was not a morning person, it was Lady Hayate. The numerous cups of coffee her Mistress downed in the morning added evidence to that.

Zafira and Shamal tended to wake up around the same time, having similar schedules and being lured downstairs by the sinfully delicious aromas of Lady Hayate's homemade breakfast. When they had been living on Earth, Zafira had quickly learned not to come to any meal in his wolf form. Drool on the floor was not fun to step in, nor was it any more amusing to clean up.

It wasn't long before Signum had thoroughly scrubbed herself clean. Another two buckets cleansed her body of the the numerous bubbles and lather adorning her body, leaving the General feeling refreshed. While the soapy water ran down the drain, the pinkette strode across the wet tile and over to the tub's faucet and closed the tap. There was the occasional dripping sound as the last drops of liquid fell into the bath.

The massive bath was now full of clear, steaming water and seemed to beckon Signum into it's warm embrace.

Signum obliged, placing one long, well-toned leg into the bath and following with the other. She sank into the steaming depths up to her chin, allowing the warm water to cleanse her mind, body, and soul. As the heat seeped deep into her, penetrating down to the bone, the General let out a hum of contentment.

Signum's gaze was drawn to the dormant Laevatein, resting in the valley between her ample breasts on a silver chain, and she began pondering on the agreement she had made with Yuuno the night before. Together they would work on developing a new style of combat. One where the shield was the weapon, not the sword. They had yet to work out any of the specifics, but there would be plenty of time for that the next time they met.

Still, that did not stop her from fantasizing the kinds of battle they would have. Heated exchanges, surrounded by stone, fire, and ruin. She would strike out, he would parry and counter. She would evade, he would pursue. They would trade roles and the cycle would continue. Freshly drawn blood would mingle with the old as they fought and fought until neither could fight anymore, yet still trying to push themselves forward to deal that last blow.

Their armor and clothing in tatters. Blood pouring from their wounds. Laevatein cracked down it's length and Yuuno's shields flickering from strain. The fine line between life and death becoming so close that it barely existed. Then, and only then, would they exchange that final blow. Each striving to take victory from the other and dominate their foe.

So enamored was she with this fantasy of future battle that Signum did not hear the door to the bath slide open.

"Do I want to know why you're looking at your boobs with a stupid grin on your face?" The slightly sarcastic, but still amused question from Vita smashed through Signum's mind like a hammer through glass.

Had it been anyone else, they would have jumped out of their skin and likely started denying their actions. Signum's eyes only widened as her head snapped in Vita's direction. Any trace of the supposed stupid grin was gone. She would have said something in return, but Vita's own grin let the General know that her fellow Knight was simply teasing. "You are up early," Signum stated with a raised eyebrow.

The nude redhead went about her own bathing routing as she responded. "Me and Nanoha are gonna take the newbies out for some evasion training in the Southern Ruins." She looked around for a bit after replying, sniffing at the air. "Is that cinnamon?"

"Shamal purchased some new conditioner," Signum stated simply as she relaxed back into the water.

Vita merely shrugged. "By the way... You were out a lot later than you said you'd be. You didn't even call. What gives?" came the girl's question before dumping a bucket of water over her head.

"I will have to apologize to everyone at breakfast. It was not my intention to cause worry." Signum's gaze turned towards the opposite wall.

There was a snort in reply. "We know that. But still, you're usually pretty good about those things. Was the book that good?" What Signum did on her bi-weekly outings was not a secret. What she read, however, often was.

A short pause preceded the pinkette's response. "In truth, I was unable to read anything. Rather, I spent my time at the training fields."

"You spent all that time training by yourself? Pull the other one, Signum, I know how much you hate using those drones," replied Vita with a hint of exasperation while she went about the process of washing herself.

"I did not train the entire time, nor did I use any drones. I had the unexpected pleasure of doing combat with Scrya. Unfortunately, our match was rather short as he had already been there for some time by himself." Signum truly did hate using those drones for practice.

Vita's scrubbing slowed for a bit. "So you spent the night out with Yuuno, did you? How's our favorite ferret doing by the way? I haven't had a chance to drop in and see him in a while." She'd been aching for another match against the librarian for some time, but their schedules seemed to conflict so often that the most she could do was the occasional short call.

Signum ignored the redhead's innuendo. "He is doing quite well. He has been training himself quite often as of late." A teasing grin graced her features. "I would recommend that you should step up your game, else you will never be able to break him. His drive is quite impressive."

"Oh, I'll break him alright. I don't care how long it takes me, I'll bust his shields wide open. You can be sure of that, you boob demon," growled out Vita as she finished washing her back.

The pinkette chuckled. "Just try to avoid being tied up again."

That got a reaction out of Vita as the tips of her ears reddened. "I will have my vengeance..." During one rather intense match, Yuuno's efforts to bind her had led to interesting and embarrassing results. He'd claimed that it was an accident, but the redhead was still skeptical.

Signum heard Vita dump a bucket of warm water over her head, soon followed by feet upon tile. The relatively calm water was disturbed when she joined her fellow Knight in the large bath. "Ahhh... Good stuff," sighed Vita, hardly being immune to the soothing effects of a good wash followed by a soak in steaming water.

"What time will you be meeting Nanoha?" inquired Signum with her eyes closed, luxuriating in the heat.

"Around ten. She'll prolly get there way earlier though, always does." Vita knew that if there was anyone who could try to put Signum's punctuality to shame, it was Nanoha.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a time before deciding to get out. Vita because she had things to do and Signum because she did not particularly want to test how well she could pass off as a prune.

As they dressed, both Knights' noses twitched. From beyond the door separating the dressing room from the rest of the house came a most tantalizing aroma. Both hastened their efforts to dress themselves, though Signum did so in a far more dignified manner than Vita.

The redhead practically flew from the room in her efforts to reach the breakfast table. Signum followed at a far more controlled pace.

Upon entering the dining room, Signum was greeted with the sight of the entire family seated at the table with the exception being Lady Hayate. Her Mistress was setting down the last massive stack of steaming pancakes. The fluffy cakes stood alongside crispy rashers of bacon, piles of scrambled eggs, toast, and a large pitcher of orange juice. It was enough food to feed an army and it made the collective Knights' mouths water.

Still, the General managed to retain her composure. "Good Morning, Lady Hayate. Everyone." A chorus of morning's greetings responded.

Most notable was the glint in Lady Hayate's eyes as she replied to her General's greeting after she sat down at the head of the table. "Good Morning, Signum. Did you have a good evening?" The tone of her voice was friendly as ever, but Signum could tell that her Mistress was rather displeased with her unexplained late return home last night.

Food was passed around and plates filled with an unconscious precision that would tell any random onlooker that such a practice had been done many times over the years. After taking a portion of eggs to accompany her pancakes, Signum folded her hands on the table and spoke. "I must apologize for my late return home last night. It was not my intention to cause concern and I should have had the presence of mind to call."

That seemed to placate Lady Hayate to a degree and she huffed before smiling mischievously. "Just don't do it again. Or else I'll have you wear the skimpy maid outfit again."

A shiver ran down Signum's spine as she recalled the event. Having to fight Fate with her armor reconfigured into a maid's outfit had been mortifying. She couldn't recall exactly what she had done to deserve such a punishment, only that she had never done it again. "I shall be more careful in the future, Lady Hayate."

The brunette gave a satisfied nod of approval. After that, the conversation shifted more towards what everyone had planned for the day.

Zafira would be teaching his weekly martial arts classes at the park. It was something he had started as a way to give the children of the numerous TSAB employees something to do on a Saturday morning. It was good for the mind, body, and soul and he'd gathered quite a few students over time, all of whom seemed to enjoy themselves immensely.

Shamal had a few errands to run on Mid-Childa and her Lady Hayate would be accompanying her. There were a few things needed around the house and the Knight of the Lake usually took it upon herself to go shopping for them. Their Mistress wanted to give her a hand along with spending some time with the blonde knight.

Vita conveyed what she'd told Signum earlier in the bath to the rest of the family. It would keep her busy for a good portion of the day, but the redhead was looking forward to beating the cockiness out of the newbies.

Zwei wasn't sure what she was going to do with herself as her original plans with Agito had been scrapped due to the latter being called in to speak with her superiors about something. If Agito's fiery temperament was any indication, it likely involved a discipline issue. The Unison Device bemoaned her friend's failure to control her temper, eliciting an amused response from everyone at the table.

The plates were beginning to empty as Zafira queried Signum on her plans for the day. "What do you have planned for the day, Signum? You've got the day off if memory serves."

Swallowing some of her orange juice, Signum considered her plans for the day. She hadn't anything in particular set for the day save for perhaps a light workout and giving Laevatein a good polish. Then she recalled that Yuuno would be expecting a call from her at some point. It would be rather difficult to work on something together if they lacked proper communication. "I believe that I shall be giving Scrya a call. Hopefully we shall be able to continue from where we left off last night."

Her statement had no initial visible effect on the rest of the family, save for Vita who seemed to be trying her hardest not to laugh. Eventually the reactions came about. Shamal and Hayate seemed to have taken on a color more appropriate on a tomato as they linked Signum's admission with her, as yet, unexplained late night return home. Zwei seemed to have tuned out the world as she stared straight ahead at Signum, her face frozen in shock. Zafira coughed into his hand, a slight tint of red on his face, "I hadn't expected you to be so open about such a thing, but good for you."

Signum replied with a raised eyebrow. "Why would I conceal such a thing. It is only training." Truthfully, it was more than just training. It was the creation of a new array of techniques, new ways of fighting, new ways to wage glorious battle. She longed for the day that Yuuno brought his theorized style to fruition. It took a great deal of self control to not let her fantasies come to the forefront of her mind as they had in the bath.

Her explanation seemed to calm the nerves of nearly everyone present as their misconceptions were cleared. Shamal and Hayate let out a sigh of relief, though their coloring was slow in returning to normal. Apparently the idea of Signum having an illicit rendezvous with Yuuno behind their backs was as interesting as it was scanadlous. That catlike grin on Lady Hayate's face let the pinkette know exactly where her Mistress' mind was: the gutter.

Vita seemed a little put off, having hoped for a little more amusement from the situation than had actually happened. She did however come to the conclusion that while Yuuno's apparently intensive training would make her goals even more difficult, his training with Signum would threaten to render them a pipe dream. She was going to make the most of today's training. Those kids would never knew what hit them.

Zwei had remained unresponsive until snapped out of her reverie by the redhead. Blinking in confusion and quite ignorant of Signum's explanation, the girl with powder blue hair decided that she would need to have words with Yuuno Scrya. Sure, he was a good guy and they'd all known him for years, but he hadn't been officially vetted by the rest of the family. Zwei decided that she would shoulder the task by herself since no one else seemed too concerned.

The meal finished, Zafira claimed dominance over the kitchen to clean the dishes while Hayate, Shamal, and Zwei went to take their morning bath.

Vita had donned her uniform before heading off on her motorbike to the nearest teleportation facility. The bike had been a collective gift to the redhead from her family and friends on her 16th birthday. It was designed to be usable by someone of her stature or an adult without sacrificing performance or safety. The Iron Hammer Knight loved the bike and it proved to be extremely useful when there was no one to give her a lift to work.

Signum retreated to her room after watching Vita drive off. Sitting on the corner of her bed, she had Laevatein send a call to Yuuno. She was feeling a little anxious at the prospect of calling the man, knowing that this call would undoubtedly lead to their next meeting and their next battle.

The semi-transparent communication window displayed an icon indicating that the device was attempting to connect to Yuuno's line. It took a little longer than Signum would have liked, but eventually a familiar face filled the screen. "Good morning, Scrya. I hope that I did not wake you."

Yuuno shook his head. "I've been up for a little while now. I was wondering when you'd call, actually."

"Oh?" inquired Signum with a slightly curious look.

"Yeah, I couldn't stop thinking about what we're going to be doing and it woke me up early. I've been drafting ideas since I got up," admitted the blonde somewhat sheepishly as he looked away from Signum's gaze.

It was imperceptible to Yuuno as he'd turned his head, but the General of Fire licked her lips as a hunger began to settle in her belly. That Yuuno was taking such action meant that he was definitely serious about this. "I look forward to seeing what you have developed in such a short time."

Turning back to face the woman, he brought up the proposed meeting. "When would you like to meet up and talk? I cleared out as much time as I could, much to my subordinates' chagrin." They hadn't been all too happy that their boss was finally using more of his power to delegate assignments. Still, he was their boss and he did have that right.

"My schedule is open for the day." replied Signum with a glint in her eyes. The sooner they could fight, the better. Plus, it would be harder to match their schedules later on. While Yuuno might be the head of his department and able to arrange for more acceptable hours, Signum was tied to whatever hours the Air Force gave her. She did have some say in when she had to work, but the pinkette was still subject to what time frame the military's human resources department gave her.

"How about we meet for an early lunch and go from there?" It would also give him some time to work on the drafts for some of the spellwork he'd modified.

Signum nodded. "That is acceptable. There is a small outdoor restaurant perhaps fifteen minutes by foot from the training fields."

"Sounds good. I can come pick you up if you'd like," offered Yuuno politely.

"Actually, I would prefer to drive this time. You did provide me with transportation last night and it is only proper that I repay the favor." While that much was true, she also wanted to drop in on Yuuno. If she was lucky, she could get a hint at what manner of work he'd done and get him out to the field sooner.

The blonde man blinked before acquiescing. "Sure. You have my address, right?"

"I do," she replied simply.

The exchange seemed to taper off aft that until Yuuno broke the silence. "Well, I'll see you soon then. Alright?"

"Indeed." There was an exchange of nods before the communication ended and Signum lay down on her bed, staring at the ceiling. It was still early and despite how much she wanted to meet with Yuuno and get started, arriving so early would be rather inappropriate. Perhaps showing up half an hour or so early would be permissible.

So the time passed as Signum polished and tuned Laevatein, the blade having been at her side for so long as she could recall. She had paused in her efforts only to bit the members of her family farewell as they headed out to take care of their own plans for the day. The pinkette had also made certain to tell them that she would be going out later as well, and would send them the details of her return home when she confirmed them. Zwei seemed to be working on a project of her own and had holed up in her room only stating that she was busy with something important.

As Signum was completing her inspection and tuning of Laevatein's razor edge, a notification of the time popped up in her peripheral vision. If she wanted to arrive at Yuuno's residence a little early, she would have to leave soon. She bade Zwei farewell and was seen off by the girl.

Driving to Yuuno's home did not take too long owing to the light traffic and favorable stoplights. It took perhaps twenty minutes for the entire drive. That she was skirting the upper edge of the speed limit probably shaved off a fair amount of time as well. After pulling into the driveway and turning off the car, Signum approached the front door and knocked solidly three times.

There was a shuffling from behind the door before it opened, revealing Yuuno Scrya dressed in casual clothing. "I wasn't expecting you this early, Signum. Come on in."

"I would not wish to be late," replied Signum simply as she entered the home at Yuuno's behest. Her sharp eyes scanning the room for any indication of work on their project. To her dismay, she did not find any at first glance. At the very least, he had kept the place clean. The last time she had been here, there had been tomes and scatterings of work everywhere. Yuuno had received quite the reprimanding for living in such a state.

"I supposed it wouldn't hurt to eat a bit earlier than planned. Besides, I can show you some of the ideas I've come up with while we eat," suggested the librarian with an eager smile, holding up a small mobile computer terminal as he did so.

Signum nearly did an about-face before replying. "That would be acceptable." She hadn't even had a chance to remove her shoes.

Yuuno blinked and the next thing he knew, he was sitting the passenger seat of Signum's car and headed in the direction of the training fields. The blonde wasn't quire sure how he'd gotten in the car only that there had been a pink blur and then the sound of an engine. Eventually he found his voice. "Have you been to this restaurant before, Signum?"

"I have not, but I have heard favorable things about it from those who have," spoke Signum with a small shake of her head.

The silence that followed in the vehicle seemed somewhat charged. Both adults appeared eager to eat and get to the fields, Signum moreso than Yuuno. It was not long before they arrived at the restaurant. It was small and out of the way, with an array of tables placed outside.

They ordered their lunch, food that would provide them with a lot of energy to burn in the coming session. It did not take long for their meal to be ready and they sat down at one of the tables under the shade. While it was somewhat nippy with the onset of Autumn, the bright sun overhead made the shadows preferable.

After taking a few bites or her meal, Signum looked at Yuuno and spoke. "Show me what you have come up with." It was equal parts a request and a command. The closer they got to the onset of combat, the less time the General of Fire wanted to waste.

Not wanting to make her wait, Yuuno withdrew his portable terminal and called up an array of displays. Each one displaying a collection of magical arrays and equations. Some had human outlines with numerous notes and symbols attached to them. "This is what I have so far. Its not much and I haven't even gotten around to the forms, but I think it has some potential."

Signum did not respond, her mind awash with ideas and possibilities. There was indeed much potential in what Yuuno had devised. Who would have thought that shield spells could be reworked in such a way.

"What do you think?" questioned the librarian after a time.

"I think that today's match will prove very educational, for the both of us." There was a dangerous gleam in her eyes that sent shivers down Yuuno's spine and for the second time in two days, the man was reminded that the woman who had just spoken was not only beautiful like a blade, but just as deadly.

That electrified silence from before returned as the pair finished their respective meals. For Signum, the desire to enter battle against Yuuno's untested theories was becoming overpowering. For Yuuno, there was a feeling of anticipation. To anticipate an approaching fight was not something he was very familiar with. Anxiety over the approach, yes. But rarely, if ever, anticipation.

Both adults made great haste towards the nearest field, the fifteen minute journey on foot seeming to pass by in a flash.

By the time they reached the training field, they were itching to get started. The distance traveled had gotten their bodies warmed up and the blood flowing. There was a flash of light as Signum drew Laevatein while striding towards the center of the field, her clothing vanishing and being replaced by her Knight Armor in a fraction of a moment. Yuuno's clothing vanished in a similar manner, giving way to his own Barrier Jacket in a burst of green.

When they cane to stand across from one another, Signum's eyes were nearly blazing as they took in the differences that her opponent displayed compared to normal. It was not a physical difference, but rather a difference of stance. Normally, she saw the man's desire to bind, trap, and halt her advance. Now she was bearing witness to a shift in that feeling. It was slight, but still perceptible. He would strike, he would crush, he would advance. He would _fight_.

The signal was unspoken, but both combatants began at the same time.

The blade sharing the name of a weapon that slew gods met with a shield whose name bore no mythology. There was a brilliant flash as they collided. The narrow rectangular shield that now adorned the back of Yuuno's left arm halted the advance for Signum's blade.

The General of Fire's eyes gleamed even more fiercely as more of Head Librarian's ideas came to life. Shield panels burst to life over Yuuno's hands, emulating gauntleted fists. With a wordless shout, he swung his defending arm to the side aiming to knock aside the deadly sword. There was a burst of force from the shield that would have blown the weapon out of less skilled hands.

With a wordless shout, Yuuno charged forward into the brief opening created and was deftly sidestepped by the pink haired warrior. Were it not for his reflexes, the fight would have ended with the cracking open of his skull by Laevatein's white sheath. He rolled forward to avoid the bludgeoning force and again to the side before Signum's device could carve out his spine.

Their exchanges persisted heatedly, increasing in speed over time as Yuuno became more and more familiar with what he was attempting to create. Repulsion and brute force came with every strike of his shields. Since Signum had some inkling of what to expect, she was no longer sent flying whenever her blade met his fist. Still, each strike rattled her bones.

However, she could tell he was holding back. He had not begun to delve further into his innovation or the other theories that she had seen in his notes. Signum wanted more from him and knew full well that he could give it. When Laevatein met Yuuno's shield encased fists again, she pressed him. She pressed him hard. The blade lashed out viciously and drew first blood. Even as the red fluid flowed from the wound on the librarian's shoulder, Signum pressed him.

Yuuno felt himself being pushed back. The heat from his wound was negligible compared to the situation. He needed to turn the tables, needed to adapt, needed to stop relying on theory and make it into a reality. Three small shields sprang up perpendicular to his right forearm near the elbow. A moment later, the same arrangement appeared on the left. Pumping mana through the equations, Yuuno activated them. A repulsive force began emitting from the shields that acted against the surroundings.

With a successful parry, Yuuno struck. The shields' effects added tremendous speed to his punch, more than Signum could successfully evade or defend against. Her eyes widened as his fist struck her sternum with devastating force. She could feel her bones groaning and her chest burning as the circular shield on the man's fist drove itself forward. Perhaps a fraction of a second after impact, the shield's repelling effect blew the General off of her feet.

That signaled the taking of the fight to the next level. As Signum regained her footing, Yuuno was trying to capitalize on that minor instability. It proved to be fruitless as Laevatein ejected a shell casing and erupted into flames. With a swing of her sword, the pinkette filled the blonde's vision with a hellish fire.

The fight continued to escalate from there. Yuuno using more and more of his theorized arsenal, up to and including using the edge of his shields as a cutting blade. Movement augmentation, brute force, and manipulation of physical laws wielded from an untested theoretical arsenal pitted themselves against the tried and true techniques of an experienced master who wielded bow, blade, and whip.

Time held no more meaning as the pair pummeled each other, vying for domination. The battle had lasted for well over an hour now and both were beginning to near the end of their capacity. Much as Signum saw in her desired fantasy, they were bloodied, beaten, clad in armor that was barely holding together, and surrounded by the ravaged training field. She was out of cartridges and Laevatein was rapidly burning through the last of her reserves, literally.

Yuuno was hardly better as he had been forced to consolidate his defenses and discard useless or wasteful theoretical armaments and strategies. This mid-combat tuning had taken its toll on the man. His hair was loose and cut at a ragged angle near the end, the result of a near miss that would have taken his head off. His sleeves and part of his tabard had been burned away by Signum's searing flames while one arm hung loosely at his side, dislocated by the feel of it.

He had also discovered something for himself: he could faintly see that thin line between life and death that Signum desired so, that made her into a battle junkie. It was barely perceptible to him, but he could feel that draw. That desire to go ever closer. He wanted more.

This first session was the epitome of trial by fire. Rather than spend months and years meticulously developing a new style of combat, they would rapidly forge this one in the heat of battle. So far, it seemed to have worked out for the better.

The last blow would decide the victor of the match, which had gone above and beyond its original purpose. Laevatein blazed brightly, its heat warping the air around it. Signum's nearly crazed eyes started deeply into Yuuno's soul as her face was flush from exertion. Yuuno met her gaze as he poured the last of his mana into his shields. A large iridescent ring of bright green symbols erupted from his back as shield panels gathered around his remaining usable arm.

Two battle-cries erupted from the throats of the combatants as they charged full on at one another. Signum's Laevatein met Yuuno's shield clad hand and they locked. Neither was giving any and was coming with the full intention to take everything. Then the ring on the blonde's back began to rotate, pushing against the air and forcing its caster forward.

It was an imperceptible shift at first, but eventually Signum's foot was forced to dig into the solid ground to brace herself from being pushed back any further. The ground of the field cracked under the pressure before finally giving way. With nothing left to stop its movement, the magic ring's full force was loosed and hurled the pair towards the opposite wall.

With nothing to stop herself, Signum struck the wall hard enough to splinter the reinforced surface. Yuuno's impacting against her did not help matters either and she heard a sickening snap when his body closed the already short distance between them. The sudden onslaught of pain in her left arm assaulted her senses. Had Laevatein's blade not been in Yuuno's shielded grasp, it surely would have run the man through. Her vision swimming, the last sight Signum saw before darkness consumed her was the rapidly approaching floor behind a falling blonde.

It was perhaps ten minutes later when she awoke, propped up against the training field's wall with an exhausted looking ferret in her lap. She didn't hurt nearly as much as she though she should, but would not complain.

_'I had to use some of your mana to heal you... Your arm broke when we hit the wall.'_ Yuuno's tired voice reached her thoughts.

_'...I appreciate it,'_ Signum replied as she sat there, recovering beneath the Autumn sun.

_'Signum...'_ The ferret trailed off, not certain how to ask his question.

_'Hmm?'_ That wonderful feeling after a harsh battle was beginning to overtake the receding pain.

_'...Is battle supposed to feel that good?'_ His question brought Signum's attention to the rodent in her lap, her eyes slightly widened.

Eventually a smile graced the General's features. _'To someone who enjoys battle, it is. And that was a most enjoyable fight.'_

While his home was amongst tomes and magical scripts, decayed ruins and ancient stone, Yuuno felt that being here wasn't such a bad feeling. _'Do you want to do this again next week? There's still plenty to work on.'_

_'Most certainly, Scrya.'_ Amongst the ravaged field, armor in tatters, her body exhausted and beaten from such a prolonged and vicious fight, Signum's smile was glorious.


	3. Unclouded Eyes

Greetings everyone. Sorry about the delay, things have been busy over here and I haven't been able to write nearly as much or as quickly as I would like to. I assure you that Leave of Absence and Aftermath have not been abandoned nor am I dead. I've just been on a Signum/Yuuno kick and the ideas are flowing a bit easier for this story than the other two at the moment.

This one took quite a bit of work to get done and certain sections had to be rewritten. One thing of note was the manner of Signum's speech in how she addresses people outside her family. I'll be going back to chapters 1 and 2 to fix this as well.

I'd like to thank the good people of the Nanoha Fanfiction board on Animesuki who helped me out greatly.

As per the norm, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are always welcome.

- Chapter Start -

Erio Mondial had seen and done a great many things in his short life. He had been part of the legendary Riot Force 6 during the conflict against Jail Scaglietti and fought alongside legends such as the White Devil, the Black Lightning, and the Wolkenritter. A beautiful young mistress of dragons had declared him to be her Dragon Knight, who would protect her in battle and possibly forever into the future.

Right now though, that mattered little compared to the scene before him. The teenager had been training against drones in one of the numerous fields that the TSAB maintained for use by mages. He'd had a good run of things in his opinion. Erio wasn't about to get a swelled head about it, but he felt that he'd improved to some decent degree. That opinion shattered when he laid eyes upon the bout that had drawn his attention most violently.

One of the combatants was recognized instantly. Captain Signum Yagami, the General of Fire and his direct superior officer during the Scaglietti Incident. Her pink hair whipped about like the flames that filled the arena as fought viciously against her opponent.

The second was far harder to place, but eventually a name slid into place. Yuuno Scrya, the Head Librarian of the Infinity Library. Admittedly, Erio knew very little about the man, having heard only stories about him from his adopted family and their friends. Still, if he was capable of going toe to toe with the legendary Knight of the Sword, why wasn't he more well known? Or part of the military forces? And what was he doing with those shields?

Such thoughts faded as his mind and vision were drawn into the battle. The teenager found himself short of breath with each exchanged blow. Blood and sweat flying through the air in slow arcs, seemingly ignorant to the flow of time. He had never seen Signum fight in such a manner before, so consumed by a visceral desire to engage in personal warfare for the sake of warfare alone. Her power flowed without mercy, like a raging current of lava.

There had been stories about Signum's love for battle, but he never knew it extended so far. He had not been present for the legendary bout between her and Captain Takamachi. He had considered the tales to be slightly exaggerated, but no longer.

It was amazing, so absolutely awesome to see the clash of power before him. Erio would have stayed to the end of the match, but after half an hour had passed without either side looking like they would give in, his device intervened with a series of loud vibrations that broke the teenager's concentration. Strada informed the redhead that he would be late returning home after his errands if he remained.

While he did not want to leave such a sight, the teenager knew that if he were late in getting home, his adoptive mother would not be a happy person. While Fate was an extremely kind woman and would likely forgive him if he were a little late, he didn't want to run the risk of disappointing her. Especially when he had promised to help with preparations for dinner by picking up the needed groceries after he was done training.

With heavy footsteps, Erio tore his gaze away from the battle and began walking. For the entire trek home and during the errands he'd promised Fate that he would do, the redhead bore a slightly glassy-eyed and awestruck expression. It drew more than a few confused and curious looks from those he passed by.

It was hours later when Fate arrived home to the combined Harlaown-Takamachi household. She was looking forward to dinner as nearly everyone would be home for a change. Dinners with the entire family, or at least most of them, were not as commonplace as she would have liked. If it wasn't her own work, it was someone else's. Be it Nanoha's duty as a trainer, Arf's duties and the Infinity Library, or Erio and Caro's work off-world with the wildlife preservation. It didn't help that Vivio was growing into a teenager with her own responsibilities and had also been spending a lot of time with her own friends as well.

Unfortunately, Arf wouldn't be home for dinner as she'd had a sudden influx of workload that would be keeping her at the library till late.

There was no one to greet her at the door, but the three sets of shoes at the entrance told the blonde that her three children were home at the very least. Caro and Vivio's carefully places shoes sat next to Erio's hastily tossed off ones. She hoped that at the very least that he'd remembered to get the groceries like he had promised.

After shedding her own shoes and uniform jacket, Fate called out to her three children to let them know she was home. A loud crash answered her before the thumping of rapid footsteps indicated the rather loud approach of at least one individual, likely her son as Caro was far more reserved and Vivio was more likely to approach with leaps and bounds if not outright flying.

Her suspicions were confirmed when the redheaded male came into view, a wide grin on his face. "Hey, Fate. Welcome home." Though she was his mother on paper and she referred to the three of them as her children, he had a hard time seeing her as anything other than an aunt or older sister.

"Hello, Erio. Did you get the groceries, like you promised?" asked Fate as she gave the teenager a hug. "And where are Caro and Vivio?"

Erio returned the familial embrace. "I remembered. Everything is in the fridge. Caro's taking a nap and Vivio's holed up in her room trying to finish her homework." He seemed to be most eager about something. "But listen to this: I saw the most incredible thing today."

Fate raised an eyebrow at her adopted son's words as she entered the kitchen. "I'm listening..." She leaned against the counter and looked at the young man.

"When I finished my training for the day, I saw Captain Signum at one of the other fields. She was fighting some blonde guy and really going all out against him." Excitement began to creep into his voice as he told the tale of the vicious life and death battle that Signum was involved in. The shaking ground, the broken field, the fire and blood everywhere.

The Enforcer listened intently to Erio's words. He was not one to exaggerate often, but so far the image he was weaving seemed to be a bit farfetched. Still, his mention of 'some blonde guy' clicked something in her mind. "Erio, that man you saw fighting with Signum, did he seem familiar to you at all?" she asked during a break in the teenager's tale.

He blinked, the question forcing him to pause for a brief moment before replying. "I think it was Professor Scrya. That guy you and Nanoha told me about. He runs the Infinity Library, right?" Signum was of more importance to him in the first place, so it wouldn't have been too out of the ordinary to place the male's supposed identity on the back burner.

"Yuuno was the one?" questioned Fate with some skepticism. She knew that at his absolute best, her blonde friend could really push Signum to claim her inevitable victory. Yuuno's mastery over defensive spells and binds would certainly be classified as legendary by some and he was no slouch in the area of teleportation either. Still, Erio's exaggerations didn't quite fit the librarian's style of combat. In fact, it seemed more of the polar opposite.

The image of Yuuno entering the range that Signum thrived in with the intent of engaging in a vicious melee was a very hard one to picture. Particularly with the brutal descriptions that Erio was giving her.

"Yeah, Yuuno Scrya," confirmed Erio with a confident nod.

Fate was fairly certain that Erio had mistaken Signum's opponent for someone else. She would still file it away to try and ask Signum about during their scheduled match on Wednesday. Asking Yuuno was another possibility, but calling him up out of the blue to ask if he had gotten into a supposed slugging match with Signum just to sate her curiosity seemed a little rude.

She'd accept Erio's story for now. At least until she could verify the story in one direction or another. "You can tell us more during dinner, now give me a hand." she said with a smile.

Erio's slowly growing excitement faded a little at Fate's command, but he wouldn't dare refuse. Soon the two were hard at work on dinner. Since Fate was the one in charge, they were cooking a Mid-style of meal. Nanoha's food was often drawn from the cookbook her mother had gifted to her, meaning a plethora of Japanese meals that Vivio seemed to enjoy greatly.

While Fate was stirring the steaming contents of the large pot and Erio was pulling the biscuits out of the oven, the front door opened. "I'm home!" called out Nanoha Takamachi, looking rather happy at finally being home.

"Welcome home, Nanoha," replied Fate from the kitchen, which was echoed by Erio. "Dinner should be done soon, so why don't you have a seat."

"I think I'll do just that." The brunette sat herself down at the table and let out a long sigh. "What a day. Those kids needed a ton of work..." There was a soft thud as Nanoha planted her head on the dinner table. "I think the TSAB is getting desperate."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure you and Vita put them through their paces," commented Fate before sending Erio off to wake up Caro and collect Vivio for dinner.

Nanoha would have nodded if her forehead wasn't on the table. "Vita seemed pretty into it today. A lot more than she usually is, actually." The Iron Hammer Knight had been raring to go from the start and gave no mercy to the newbies. Well, she usually was pretty merciless, but even more-so today.

Fate gave no reply other than to turn off the stove and carry the large pot of stew she and Erio had made over to the dining table. Nanoha stood from her seat and gathered the bowls and other utensils for the family to use. Erio soon returned with a sleepy Caro in tow and an energetic Vivio leading them. Fried hovered nearby Caro's shoulder and seemed far more awake than his Mistress.

Greetings were exchanged and Caro was teased lightheartedly about having bed-head at dinner. Bowls of steaming beef stew were passed around to everyone by Fate while Vivio took it upon herself to divvy up the biscuits and hand them out. Once everyone had settled in, talk of the day's events became prominent.

Since Vivio's school had classes on Saturdays, she had spent the early part of the day there. History and magical theory were her favorite classes. Unfortunately, the girl had neither that day and the short day had seemed to drag on far longer that it actually had. After being freed from clutches of class, VIvio had spent lunch and part of the early afternoon with her closest friends.

Everyone had gotten a laugh out of hearing about Einhart's reaction to being told by a boy that he liked her. According to the blonde girl, the silver haired upperclassman had turned bright red, grabbed VIvio, and then fled fast enough that the youngest Takamachi had resembled a banner flying behind Einhart.

Fate's day had been rather dull by comparison. There had, fortunately, been no major cases requiring her attention at the time and she had spent much of the day filing reports. Hayate was right, paperwork was the bane of all existence. She did make a note to remind everyone that she would be participating in a sparring match with Signum later in the week and not to worry if she was late or absent for dinner. The blonde knew that she'd probably have to remind everyone against, but it never hurt to give more of an advance warning.

Caro had been busy for much of the day off-world, much to Erio's surprise. Apparently, one of the dragon's at the preserve had injured itself and the team in charge had placed a last minute call to the summoner. While still learning the ropes, Caro was the one to call when you needed to calm an angry dragon. It had been an exhausting day for her and explained why she had been asleep.

On the plus side, they had managed to heal the dragon's wound and released it back into the preserve grounds. Fried gave a cry of happiness at the tale of their success.

Nanoha's day was so far, the most frustrating. She had met with Vita at the Southern Ruins and was looking forward to an exciting and rough day of training the new recruits. Certainly, the newbies had shown a lot of promise initially. But that had rapidly proved to be all that they had.

Their maneuverability was terrible and their spatial awareness was so bad that even a truck could have snuck up on them. So many bad habits had to be broken that it would almost have been better to send them back to basic training. Vita had taken particular joy in breaking a few of the recruits' hubris. The brunette would have gone into a full on rant had Fate not intervened with a hand on her shoulder.

"Nanoha, you're doing it again," the blonde admonished gently.

"Ehehehe... Sorry about that. I guess today got me a little wound up," she apologized to everyone present, who accepted it with ease. They too noted the decreasing quality of new recruits into the Bureau's forces, particularly Fate.

"On the note of training... Erio, didn't you have something you wanted to tell us about?" Fate directed the conversation towards what the teenager had claimed to have seen earlier in the day. Everyone's attention turned towards him.

The redhead's eyes brightened as he nodded. "It was really amazing," he began. Erio began telling the tale as he had told Fate earlier. The ferocity, the power, the clash between perceived titans. Vivio seemed enthralled by the story, taking it mostly as that. Caro seemed somewhat horrified at the idea of two friends fighting in such a bloody and deadly way. She knew that some people liked to fight like that, but had never really connected it to anyone she knew.

Fate simply listened and filed away details of the story. There were a few inconsistencies, but that was to be expected when someone gave an account of what they had witnessed multiple times. They were minor and did not change the overall picture Erio was painting.

Nanoha listened with rapt attention, soaking in every detail no matter how surreal it may have sounded. Signum was the one person she had never managed to defeat in any manner of combat. Certainly, she'd come close during their legendary battle of attrition that had come from what was supposed to be a simple sparring match, but it had ended in a tie after a mutual knockout.

Much like Fate had noticed, while the blonde man described by Erio certainly seemed like Yuuno, the combat style was all wrong. Nanoha found it hard to imagine the kind man who had brought her into the realm of magic to be so brutal. Still, the teenager had very sharp eyes and the details he was giving were not to be dismissed lightly.

When Erio's tale had reached its end, Vivio peppered the redhead with questions that he did his best to answer. Nanoha interjected with a few of her own as well. Some were serious, others were less so. No one was any closer to determining the identity of Signum's mysterious foe by the time they were done, but the possibility of it being Yuuno had not been ruled out. Particularly after Erio mentioned that the magic was of a green hue. This did not alleviate any confusion in the slightest.

After a time, the table had been cleared and each member of the family went about their own business. Caro and Vivio were playing with Fried while Fate and Nanoha were watching some television. Erio had holed up in his room with a few digital books about combat theory. The battle from before had reinforced the knowledge that individuals like Signum were leagues beyond him. He couldn't properly train his body a this hour, but he could train his mind.

-Scene Break-

Located within the confines of the massive TSAB Headquarters was the home of Yuuno Scrya. On a Sunday afternoon, the man in question would normally have been curling up in an armchair with a good book, preferably one about ancient civilizations. This day however, he could not seem to concentrate on the historical literature that lay open in his lap.

Rather, his mind was focused more on the events of yesterday. Even getting home had been a bit of an adventure. Since he had activated his transformation magic to speed with the recovery of his mana stores and would be in that form for a few hours to come, Signum had left the battered training field with a rather tired and embarrassed ferret stowed away in the inner pockets of her large coat.

It had taken both of them at least half an hour to gather their wits enough to make the journey to to Signum's car. Even then, they had to take the time to patch their wounds from their bout. It was a task made more difficult owing to Yuuno having to rely on what little mana he had been able to recover and what he had been able to draw from Signum. Not to mention that Signum was not the most capable individual with healing magics. Battlefield first aid and makeshift bandages, that she could do, but not the regenerative spells that Shamal was so skilled with.

They were fortunate that the wounds received were superficial or minor for the most part. It had been a case of looking and feeling worse than it actually was. A dislocated arm had been his worst injury while Signum's broken arm had been the most serious wound overall. Yuuno had repaired that himself using mana from the dazed General before shifting to his ferret form and crawling onto her lap. He would never admit to just how comfortable Signum's lap was.

When Signum was good enough to drive, she had taken him home. The trip had been relatively silent. It was not an uncomfortable silence, but it was not a comfortable one either. The quiet was somewhere in between, as both adults' minds were more focused on the battle that had just occurred. Though, Yuuno did recall the radiant look on the General's face as they drive.

After being dropped off a his home, Yuuno had spent the rest of the day resting. It was not the first time that he was thankful for the benefits granted by his shapeshifting abilities. The increased mana regeneration was certainly useful when he was younger. Now that his core had fully matured, the regeneration was even more useful. If he'd exhausted himself to the same degree as he had ten years ago, it would have taken him a week or more to recover. Now it only took a good night's rest as a fuzzy little rodent and he was nearly back to full power.

Still, his thoughts were more directed at the individual with whom he had exchanged blows the day prior.

He had known Signum Yagami for years. Despite that, she was still somewhat of a mysterious individual to him. it was not due to lack of interaction, but more owing to the fact they lived in vastly different worlds. Yuuno was an intellectual, someone who thrived on knowledge and the pursuit of it. He could spend hours discussing the intricacies of Ancient Belkan masonry, Ancient Nasuvian texts, or even whether or not the legendary Al Hazard used a particular type of reagent.

Signum, on the other hand, was a warrior. She was most at home in combat, on the battlefield. That much was plain to see by anyone. The General carried herself like a soldier at all times and her loyalty to her Lady Hayate was reminiscent of the most legendary and noble knights. When Yuuno was younger, that he had found her attitude to be rather intimidating was an understatement.

Her prowess in combat was the stuff of legends. Certainly, the other members of their group of friends, family, and acquaintances were also legends in their own right. There was enough power and skill collected in such a small number of individuals that they could theoretically take on entire armies. Nicknames like 'The White Devil' were not handed out so freely.

Many knew of Signum's status as a 'battle junkie', but it wasn't until truly taking the fight to her that Yuuno began to understand what that meant. By definition, it was easy to know what that was. A 'battle junkie' was one who lived for the fight. They thrived in the scant millimeters that separated a blade from tearing out the jugular, the power that could reduce them to ashes with the slightest error, the feeling that arose when trading blows with someone in earnest. Their existence revolved around the feelings of dominating someone and being dominated in combat. It was a flow that brought both closer to the brink. That edge where the border between life and death became so close that one misstep would be the end of everything. The ultimate climax.

It was an addicting feeling. So raw and primal that it seduced even the most peaceful and level headed individuals into going further and further. Now, Yuuno had experienced that pull for the first time. He had been in life or death situations before and none of them had drawn out this feeling. Was it his venturing into Signum's domain that had brought this knowledge to light? The stepping out of his comfort zone? The fact that Signum had come closer to killing him than ever before?

Still, regardless of how he had discovered the feelings, he now knew them. Now that he knew them, he had gained a new insight into that particular facet of Signum's person. Yuuno knew that she loved battle, desired it, craved it. He knew that it was the fine line between life and death that came from the most intense bouts that she wanted to experience. Now he knew why.

Yuuno knew why, because he wanted to experience it again. It was a desire that disturbed him on some level. Yes, he had wanted to become a more effective mage and more useful to his friends in the event that they found themselves embroiled in battle again. But discovering the draw that labeled Signum as a 'combat junkie' was not something that he had expected. Could he remain in Signum's world and not become so addicted to the battlefield like her?

He wasn't sure if he could. Still, a small voice in the back of his mind wondered if that was truly a bad thing.

Turning his head to the side, Yuuno discovered that evening was approaching and he'd been ruminating on his revelations for a large portion of the day. Setting aside the mostly untouched tome, the librarian stood from his chair with a groan. The stiffness from sitting still for so long was not a pleasant feeling. "I should work out more..." he mused to no one.

"Well, I should at least set up a schedule for the week." Arf had done such a good job yesterday handling the sudden workload he'd dropped on her that he felt comfortable in giving her more frequent and important tasks. Maybe he should try to extend that to some of the other librarians? They seemed to have quite a bit of free time more often than not. Plus, it would give him more time to research and fine tune what he was learning from his duels with Signum.

"I hope Fate doesn't mind too much," Yuuno said as he went over to his desk and set to writing up work assignments, thinking about how Arf's Mistress would react to her familiar's increased workload.

-Scene Break-

Fate T. Harlaown had been looking forward to this day for a while now. Ever since Arf had suffered a sudden influx of work at the library, her familiar's stress level had increased dramatically. That unfortunately had led to a rather unfortunate proportional increase in headaches for the blonde woman. She had attempted to contact Yuuno about it, but he was unusually unavailable according to Arf and the other librarians who had suffered at the hands of Yuuno's newfound ability to delegate.

A high end spar was just what the doctor ordered. Venting those frustrations and any worries she may have accumulated always went better when crossing blades with someone, particularly Signum. Fighting Signum had always been a good test of Fate's capabilities, as the General was quite possibly the most skilled swordswoman in the TSAB's Air Force, if not the entire organization. She regretted not doing it more often.

Arriving at the designated sparring area, Fate scanned the field for her pink haired adversary. The field was one of many arenas set aside for the upper echelons in the power scale to use so that the common fields wouldn't be completely demolished in the event that a match got out of hand. Signum's match against Nanoha came to mind, as did the General's supposed bout against the man that Erio claimed had been Yuuno.

There was unfortunately no evidence to support or deny Erio's words as Signum had not offered any details and the field's data recorder was damaged during her bout with the man. Still, it would have been nice to find out who he had been. And if had indeed been Yuuno, to ask what was going through his head at the time.

"You are early, Testarossa," spoke Signum from the blonde's side, breaking her out of the musings that had briefly distracted her.

"I did not want to make you wait, Signum," replied Fate with an earnest smile. "Besides, I have been looking forward to this for a while now."

Signum only nodded, giving Fate a feeling of approval from the action before walking to one end of the field. It could have just been her imagination, or did the pinkette seem just a bit too eager. She knew that Signum enjoyed her fights a great deal, almost to an overwhelming degree at times. Still, she could not recall a time where even a high power sparring match would put a... bounce? into Signum's step.

Fate decided to prod a bit before they got started. "You seem to be a good mood today." It was a simple poke at Signum's attitude and one that wouldn't be seen for any more than it was.

A single raised eyebrow returned Fate's query and then a brief silence. "Yes, I suppose I am. Things have been going well as of late," Signum finally spoke. She then withdrew the resting Laevatein from where it had been covered by the folds of her uniform.

Bardiche found itself in Fate's hand rather quickly after that. While Signum's response hadn't really answered anything, the Enforcer would not prod any further just yet. She would sate her investigative urges at a more appropriate time.

Two flashes of light briefly illuminated the field, one bright yellow and the other a fiery light purple. Signum's Knight Armor was imposing as ever while Laevatein was held in one hand at the ready. Fate had foregone Bardiche's axe form and the device shifted directly into its massive zamber mode. The blonde's Barrier Jacket was already in Sonic Form as she knew that none of her jacket's defenses would be of any use against the General's powerful offense. Speed would be the game, as per usual.

Settling into her battle stance, Fate spoke. "Ready?"

"Always..." Signum flashed the barest hint of a smile as she stared down her opponent.

That response was the only warning Fate received before Signum sprung into action. A flash of steel was blocked by a gleaming golden blade mere inches from her throat. The blonde saw a fire in her opponent's eyes, something that rarely ever appeared during their sparring matches.

Already, Fate was being forced on the defensive, pulling everything she had into evading or blocking the flurry of blows raining down upon her. There was a brief opening when Signum went in for a low cut that would have struck the shapely blonde in the thigh. She took that opening to get away from the General in a burst of speed.

This was not going as usual. Even when Signum began to really get into her matches, she was rarely so vicious. Fate would have attempted to ask her foe what was going on, but was forced to hurl a barrage of Plasma Lancers at Signum to keep their distance.

Signum merely plowed through the projectiles, following closely behind a Sturmwinde that devoured all of the lightning spells in its path.

The General burst through the flames like an angry dragon, bringing Laevatein down upon Fate in a merciless arc. The blonde was able to block the strike, but unable to deal with the force behind it. She was blasted straight down into the flooring of the field, sending up a cloud of dust and debris with the impact.

Fate pulled herself upright and rolled to the side before Signum could land a falling stab that would have pinned the blonde to the ground through her stomach. "Signum, wha-," her words were cut off as the pinkette began attacking in earnest, switching between one and two handed blows that kept Fate trapped in her rhythm.

By now, the Enforcer was becoming a little terrified of the Wolkenritter set against her. It brought up memories of when they had first fought and she had been completely dominated. What was going on?

The fire in Signum's eyes was dimming slightly as the two women exchanged blows, though it was more Signum loosing a storm and Fate attempting to weather it, even burning a few cartridges to assist in escaping. No amount of speed seemed to be helping against such a pressing assault. What made it worse to the blonde was that it almost seemed like Signum was becoming bored or dissatisfied with their match.

After another powerful blow that opened up the distance between the two, Fate was panting and while Signum was drawing in deep breaths as well, she seemed far more fresh by comparison. "What is going on, Signum?" Fate finally managed to ask.

Signum merely sighed as though disappointed. "Soft."

"What?" came the confused reply.

Neither moved for a moment until the Knight of the Sword did something that Fate would never have expected. Signum drove the razor tip of Laevatein's blade into the field's reinforced ground and began marching towards the blonde with a flat stare. The magically reinforced metal that covered the General's forearms and hands glinted in the light.

"I will show you exactly what I mean. Prepare yourself," warned Signum as she took a pose that Fate recognized as being a Strike Arts stance.

Fate almost called for Signum to stop the fight. However upon seeing the determined and displeased look in her eyes, she knew that dissuading the General would be extremely difficult. Still, she had to try. "Signum, what is going on? Tell me!" she demanded. This was an extremely bizarre turn of events, one that Fate had to address here and now.

"Do not hold this against me, Testarossa." The Knight's eyes narrowed and she went into motion, giving the blonde no choice but to defend herself. Signum lashed out against the blonde and her metal clad fist impacted against the haft of Bardiche's long grip with a burst of sparks.

What disturbed Fate to a degree was not the strange attitude or the unusually violent actions taken by the General, but that said woman was still holding her own without the aid of Laevatein. It was obvious that handicapping herself like that should have given Fate the upper hand and allowed her to end the match. That was not the case so far. Certainly, the blonde had landed her fair share of hits in her efforts to halt Signum's offense since her opponent had taken to using Strike Arts, but the General still soldiered on.

Every blow that Signum landed was like being struck with a sledgehammer. An armored fist blew through her guard to land squarely between the blonde's breasts, centered on the woman's sternum, and nearly drove the air from her lungs. The follow up was no less powerful as Signum's leg snapped upwards viciously. Her armored foot was nearly a blur as it reached for the sky. The kick connected harshly, forcing Fate's teeth together with a grinding force that filled her vision with stars and would have rendered her unconscious had she not been clad in her Barrier Jacket.

It did not take long for the battle to reach its anticlimactic end. Fate's eyes were narrowed in concentration, confusion, and a degree of anger. Her body bore markings left by Laevatein first and then scuffs and bruises from Signum's hands that threw and struck her most forcefully. When the opening presented itself, Fate drove the lightning blade into the ground between them and held up her hands in a sign of surrender.

"Stop, Signum! Kaiser, what has gotten into you! And what did you mean, when you said 'soft'?" queried Fate between ragged breaths, her legs feeing weak and mana supplies low. Bardiche's physical body was cracked in places, reflecting the damage it had taken in defending it's master.

Signum lowered her guard and narrowed her eyes at Fate. "Your edge has grown dull. Is this truly the best you can do?" she spoke evenly.

"Explain," demanded the blonde. There had better be a good reason for her opponent to turn a _sparring match_ into something requiring deadly force.

"Look at yourself and consider this: In the past, you drove yourself to exhaustion improving yourself. And now?" Signum's words brought confusion to the Enforcer's face.

There was no verbal response from Fate as she considered Signum's words. She was still one of the TSAB's three Aces, and had maintained that title over the years.

"I see a woman who has become reliant more on the technology available to her than the skills that made her so dangerous an opponent. Someone who has stopped reaching for their full potential. You spit on the efforts of all who strive to give their very soul to their art. You improve yourself for your device, not for yourself, Testarossa." The General turned her back on Fate and began walking back to Laevatein, standing next to the blade when she reached it.

Fate slowly moved a hand towards Bardiche in the event that Signum tried to start the fight again. Her mind still processing everything coming out of the pinkette's mouth, an anger growing at the words her friend was stabbing her with.

Signum stared at the handle of her device. "I was taking you apart with my bare hands. What does that tell you about where you stand? At this rate, you will never be able to protect anything again." She took up the blade reverting it to its sealed form as the armor she wore was replaced with her uniform. "If you hate what I have done, what I have said, then learn to better yourself rather than to keep up with Shari's technology. I assure you that next time, I will _not_ be so gentle."

"Wait!" called out Fate to no avail as Signum left the arena, leaving the blonde alone with the harsh words and her battered self. While Fate still had questions unanswered and still no good reason for Signum's vicious actions, she now had something to chew on. Had she really grown so reliant on Bardiche to carry the fight? Was that really where she stood? Her legs finally gave out from underneath her and Fate collapse to the floor.

Feeling sore and exhausted, all she wanted to do was go to the infirmary and lick her wounds. That, and consider further what Signum had said. Something had happened in the fight that Erio told her about, something that had caused a dangerous shift in Signum's attitude.

-Scene Break-

Signum Yagami was not in a pleasant mood. That much was obvious to anyone who happened across her path. Her bout with Fate T. Harlaown had not gone as expected. Rather, it had revealed rather unpleasant things to the General that she felt should have been obvious. Especially after knowing the woman for so long. In the end, Signum was irritated, disappointed, and more than a little frustrated.

It had admittedly been a while since Signum had crossed swords with the blonde, but that did not change the fact that the pinkette had utterly destroyed Fate in their match. Instead of following the usual pattern of events: starting off with testing one another and escalating from there, she had tried upping the ante to try and push Fate a bit. It wasn't much, but it should have been enough to get more of a fight out of the blonde woman. Things had not gone as she had hoped.

Certainly, Fate had managed a few counters, but they were few and far between with very little damaging power to them. Signum had realized during the first half of their match that she had managed to keep the Black Lightning sealed. The blonde had been unable to shift into any of her various combat modes beyond the standard, nor able to make use of Bardiche's various forms. It had driven home a very unsettling fact about Fate. That fact being that she had never truly grown beyond what was required to make use of the device in a given situation.

Fate had come to rely on what Bardiche brought to the fight rather than what she was bringing. Unless you improved yourself beyond what your weapon required, you would never truly grow into your strength or be able to adapt when things did not work in your favor.

They had all been too focused on the results that Fate put out with the highly advanced device to notice that the skill of those around her was beginning to outstrip her technology. Today had been the day that skill had ultimately outstripped science as Signum recalled the feeling of her armored fists and boots making violent contact with Fate's shapely body. To have overcome her with only Strike Arts... Just how far had Fate fallen behind?

"Why would you let yourself fall into that trap, Testarossa?" inquired the General to her empty office. She did not for one moment think that she had been too harsh in the second half of their match, though others may think so. The impromptu lesson and lecture would serve as a much needed wake-up call for the Enforcer. "That is most unlike you."

Oh, there would likely be Hell to pay once Fate got home to Nanoha. One did not get away with tenderizing anyone close to Nanoha Takamachi, physically or mentally. Especially when it came to Fate. Even after all this time, no one was really certain what their true relationship was, but that mattered little to the General at this time. A part of Signum's mind secretly hoped that she would come as the White Devil for reparations in the form of combat, demanding satisfaction for the violence enacted upon the blonde.

Maybe that would make up for the frustrated feeling that sat most uncomfortably in her belly. Beyond her feelings of irritation and disappointment that her eye opening match with Fate had elicited, it had also brought about a great deal of frustration. Even after handicapping herself greatly by removing Laevatein from the equation, Signum still had been unable rekindle the flame that burned deep within as she assaulted the Enforcer. A good sparring match, including those at lower levels, could at least elicit some of that flame. This battle just left her feeling cold, and she hated it.

Nanoha could give a good fight, her stubborn refusal to give up had led to one of the most violent sparring matches in TSAB history. Not _the_ most violent, but certainly one for the books. Vita even more-so. Her fellow Knight's drive to win was perhaps even greater than Nanoha's and the redhead's ability to properly channel rage made her all the more dangerous. Even Vice could give a proper challenge when he corralled you into his optimal range.

Up until today, Signum had considered Fate to be among those who could light that fire. Now that an unfortunate reality had been revealed, she doubted that the blonde would be able to do so anytime soon unless she pulled herself out of the hole she had fallen into. It wasn't just power that pushed Signum to the brink, it was skill and drive.

Perhaps it was the recent situation she found herself in with Yuuno that brought about this realization. He had been a known quantity for so long, much like everyone else. Now, he was becoming an unknown. The image of Yuuno Scrya as anything other than a kind man with a near obsession for ancient knowledge and who held a mastery over defense magic was bizarre. Signum had most certainly seen him in the heat of battle, but he was still that same kind soul.

During their bout on Saturday, Signum had seen that kind soul strike out against her with the intent to cause harm, to destroy her, to dominate her. In all other battles that she had bore witness to, whether against him or as a spectator, Yuuno had always gone for the same strategy. That strategy being to bind his foe or make them break themselves against his fortress-like defenses. Now he had actively tried to break someone, break her. Deep down, she wanted him to try his damnedest to do so.

Even though she had handicapped herself against him, he still brought that line so very close with his drive and experimental skills. That he would only continue to try and improve himself brought a determined look to Signum's face. She would push him, so very hard. And he would push back with everything he had.

The General leaned back into her chair and stared upwards, one hand outstretched towards the ceiling as her thoughts began to calm. Why had Fate never tried to improve herself beyond what Bardiche required? Was she even conscious of her self imposed lack of growth? Why was Yuuno trying to enter the world of warfare that she so thrived in. Some things did not make any sense to her, but they would be dealt with as they came along.

"Wait a moment..." Signum's mind began racing again as the question about Fate's status shifted tracks to other members of their group. What if others had fallen into the trap that Fate had? More importantly: What of Mistress Hayate? While it was unlikely for her Lady to do so, there was always that slim chance and it worried her greatly.

Still, even if Lady Hayate had maintained herself to the very edge of her capabilities as a bombardment mage, that still left a problem that should have been addressed some time ago. It was on a very similar vein as Yuuno's situation. That being a crippling overspecialization in one field of combat. It had not been an issue before, mostly due to the fact that no one had been able to capitalize on her weakness and had been pushed into the back of everyone's minds for the most part as time went on. Close range was still a weakness of Lady Hayate's. One that she even admitted to on rare occasion. A past comment about Caro lu Rushe being able to deal defeat to Lady Hayate at close range seeped out of memory and to the forefront of Signum's mind.

Suppose someone with deadly intentions managed to close that gap, there would be nothing that Lady Hayate could do. That thought left a sickening feeling in Signum's gut and she vowed to do something about it once and for all. Now that Yuuno had given her a new perspective on things, much would have to change.

Eyeing the date circled on the calendar in red ink for her match with the librarian, Signum considered the possible repercussions of what she was about to do and found them most worth it. "Yuuno Scrya, you had best be prepared for the consequences of your actions." The General of Fire then reached over to her office's vid-phone and dialed a number that would undoubtedly draw her Lady's ire for pursuing this line of action without her consent.

A familiar face answered the call with a smile. "Signum? What a pleasant surprise. What can I do for you?"

Steeling herself, the Knight of the Sword replied, "Knight Carim, I have a favor to request of you..."

-Scene Break-

Nanoha Takamachi was not sure what to expect when she entered the infirmary. She knew that Fate and Signum were scheduled to have a high level sparring match today and that usually involved more than a few bruises if not a broken bone or two on both ends. This time, apparently only Fate had been admitted and Signum was nowhere to be seen. The medic that had contacted her had not given any details other than Fate's admission.

Pulling back the curtain, Nanoha was shocked to see Fate's condition. The blonde woman looked like she'd taken quite the beating. "Fate, what happened?" she asked with a great deal of concern in her voice.

"Hey, Nanoha," greeted Fate softly, her body still feeling a little sore even after being subjected to the healing powers of the medic on duty. Truthfully, she looked worse than she felt and much of the minor bruising would be gone within the hour. "Signum, she was acting very odd."

The brunette blinked in confusion before narrowing her eyes in displeasure. "Odd or not, she shouldn't have gone overboard like this. It was just a sparring match, she had no reason to go all out."

Fate's eyes lowered slightly. "She didn't, Nanoha."

"Eh?" The anger towards Signum was replaced so quickly with confusion, that one may have thought it was never there to begin with.

"She may have started off more fiercely than usual, but it was in the end that things became strange," confessed Fate, "She handicapped herself in a very blatant manner." Turning to face the brunette, the red-eyed beauty looked very concerned. "Signum used Strike Arts, Nanoha. She took me apart with her bare hands..."

That threw Nanoha for a loop. While she knew that Signum was well versed in hand to hand combat, the General never used them beyond physical conditioning. Not when she had Laevatein at her side, and she was more dangerous with that blade by an exponential degree compared to her fists.

Fate's eyes narrowed slightly. "I was able to stop the fight eventually and ask her what was going on. She said that I was soft and dull. Reliant on Bardiche for what I am able do." It was a hard pill to swallow, but Fate would find out whether she really had to or if the battle on Saturday had affected Signum's judgement. Either way, the General's words had hurt.

Nanoha moved to sit next to Fate and carefully held the woman, not wanting to cause pain but still wanting to comfort her. "It's okay, Fate, I'll talk to Signum about this. I'd say she might have just had a bad day, but she's not the type to let that affect her, not like that." Regardless of the reason, she wasn't going to to let anyone do this to Fate and get away with it. Not on her watch.

Sinking into Nanoha's warm embrace, Fate shook her head. "I don't think so. She appeared happy, eager. Like things had been going well for her. Once she disarmed herself, she seemed angry and disappointed. Something happened in the match that Erio told us about..." The blonde's eyelids began to droop as comfort and medication eased her into a restful state.

Nanoha would have said something in response, but Fate seemed to have drifted off to sleep. Weariness of the body and mind combined with medicine were a particularly good combination for drawing a person from the word of the waking. Pulling the woman closer, Nanoha brushed a stray lock of hair from of Fate's face and took on a serious look as she considered the implications of what she had been told. _One way or another, I will be having words with you, Signum Yagami._

-Scene Break-

The rest of the week up until Saturday had been rather eventful for Signum. Carim had contacted her the following day stating that the favor asked could be done, although SIgnum would owe her one in return. The General did not mind in the slightest, not with what her favor could do for Lady Hayate.

Between her duties involving the Air Force and family, she had precious little time to prepare for her third match with Yuuno. She had made that time count though. Combined with the fact that she planned to place less of a handicap on herself this time, Signum was looking forward to it. After the disappointing yet still eye-opening battle with Fate, she hoped that the blonde librarian had prepared himself to give everything he had. The fire deep within her demanded it.

Fate's situation had created a stir amongst everyone, but Signum had yet to meet with Nanoha or Fate about it. The same reasons that had prevented her from preparing more properly for the match with Yuuno were the same ones that prevented her from speaking with Nanoha.

Reactions to what Signum had done varied from person to person. Vita and Zafira felt that if Fate had allowed herself to get into such a situation, it was her own fault. But they did chastise Signum for going about it in the manner she had. Shamal had been rather unhappy with her actions, stating that she had gone overboard in her 'lesson'. The children of the Takamachi-Harlaown household had been rather displeased, particularly Vivio, who seemed ready to go on a rampage at first.

Lady Hayate had been particularly irate with the physical and mental beat-down that Fate had received at Signum's hands and had said as much with a fair amount of anger, something that stung the General no matter how much she understood her actions and their repercussions. They had patched things up, as family ought to do, but the pinkette decided to tread softly around her Mistress for a few days, at least until the time came to reveal Carim's favor. Others had given mixed reactions, depending on how much they heard of the situation.

Yuuno had not been in contact since before the bout in question, but Signum was certain that she'd hear from him about it when she arrived at their chosen arena.

The place of battle this time was not the training fields used by so many. Rather, this time they would be making use of a field identical in purpose as the one Signum had given Fate her wake-up call. It would suit their needs far better than the prior battlefield.

As she approached, her desired foe began to come into view. Yuuno was facing away from her direction, apparently looking over something on a holo-display as he leaned against the hood of his car. The anticipation began to grow as he heard her vehicle's approach and turned to face her.

She parked her car next to his, running a finger over Laevatein's sealed form before disembarking. Signum turned to face him. "Good afternoon, Scrya. I hope you have not been waiting long," she greeted.

"Only a few minutes. How has your week been?" he asked as they began the short trek from the parking section to the combat field.

"Eventful would be a rather severe understatement. Things have been... changing, since our last match." That they would continue changing and hopefully for the better was left unsaid.

Yuuno raised an eyebrow. "Changing?"

Signum nodded. "You made me look at things from another perspective and I found many things to be... unacceptable."

"You're talking about what happened with Fate, aren't you." It was a statement rather than a question, one that brought a hardened look to the pinkette's features for the briefest of moments.

"That and more." She paused as Yuuno unlocked the door leading to field with his ID. The double doors slid open with a faint hiss. "Do you disapprove of what I did to her, Scrya?"

The blonde took a moment to formulate his response. Eventually he let out a breath. "Honestly? I thought you were way out of line going about it how you did and wondering just what in blazes could have possessed you to do so. But that was only based on what I heard from Nanoha when she called me. Vita told me the whole story later." Their footsteps echoed in the empty arena.

"And now?" Signum asked without ever changing her expression.

"Now? I still think you went overboard and it probably could have been handled some other way. But if Fate was really in that kind of situation, she needed to see it," he explained before coming to a stop at the center of the field. "I just wish we could have realized before it came to that..."

"Thank you for your honesty." Signum took her place opposite Yuuno. A slight grin graced her lips as she took the sealed Laevatein in hand. "Now that we are here, I believe the time for talk is over, Yuuno Scrya." Faint purple light shone about the General's body for a short moment as she spoke. As it faded, the light revealed Signum now clad in her Knight Armor and with Laevatein at the ready. "Do not disappoint me." Her eyes flashed dangerously.

A brief burst of green hued light signaled the activation of Yuuno's Barrier Jacket. He settled into a ready stance. "I don't intend to." Multitudes of small shields sprung to life along the man's arm, overlapping from fist to shoulder as though they were plates of armor.

There was no signal to start the battle, but both acted at the same moment. The collision between their offenses made a sound comparable to two cars being crushed together. Yuuno broke from the locked engagement and lashed out with his right fist. The shield encased appendage zeroed in on Signum's midsection and she redirected the blow away from her with Laevatein's pommel.

The action came with such force that Yuuno nearly spun out of control. Instead he moved with the motion and hurled his body forward, using the shields on his left arm to prevent himself from being disemboweled by Signum's deadly blade. He collided with the General with enough momentum to knock her back a distance, but not nearly enough to topple her and it left him slightly off balance.

Signum capitalized on this brief moment and lunged. The scene began to resemble the beginning of her match against Fate. Yuuno was kept on the defensive, unable to launch a proper counterattack from the barrage that the General was assailing him with. Still, Signum did not find him wanting as Fate had been. He did not falter, rather he looked for any opening that would give him a way out. A way to return each strike against him.

No opening would be given, Signum would not allow it. She wanted to see what he would do, how he would cope with the situation. His solution came quickly and without preamble. As Laevatein rebounded off one of the numerous shields running down the man's arm, the other arm gasped the long cape and hurled the cloth into Signum's vision.

While it did not give nearly enough of an opening to go on the offensive, it did allow Yuuno to break away. As the momentum carried him backwards, Signum responded to his escape with a large gout of flame that chased after him, biting at his heels with searing teeth. She was somewhat impressed with his means of breaking away, but it wasn't enough.

She pursued him with great fervor and he did everything he could to keep the battle driven woman at bay. As they exchanged blows, each strike became more violent, more driven to conquer. They left the ground and took to the air, expanding the field of battle.

As they ascended, trading fist for sword and foot for flame, Yuuno was finally able to capitalize on a brief opening. Whether Signum left it there as a test or he had genuinely broken through mattered little. He would take it. One hand snaked through her guard and grasped the fabric of the pinkette's Knight Armor just below the metal gorget. Using his shields as a foothold and as propulsion, the blonde hurled Signum towards the ground with terrific force, tearing open her armor in the process.

Signum landed with a mighty crash, sending a plume of dust into the air. She rolled to the side as Yuuno's fist impacted where she had been only moments before. A vicious grin graced the General's features as a dribble of blood ran down her cheek. She kicked away from Yuuno while reaching for the tassets of her armor. From it, she withdrew a set of knives and hurled them at the man. One missed completely while a second bounced off of the shield that he had placed in from of him.

The third buried itself into the ground, pinning Yuuno's long cape to the ground without his realizing it. He lunged after Signum and was nearly strangled as the fabric around his neck pulled taut, forcing him off of his feet and back to the ground. Signum did not let the opportunity pass her by and the librarian's face was soon met with a merciless kick from the woman's metal encased foot. Yuuno felt his nose break upon contact.

He rolled from the impact as his cape was torn free, blood poured down his face from the broken nose Signum had given him. The blonde viciously tore the cape from his body and cast it aside. A single distraction had not been worth nearly being strangled. Losing the cape would hinder his maneuverability in the air, but right now it was in the way more than anything.

From there their exchanges began in earnest once more. Further driving each closer and closer to the edge. The violence the two adults were inflicting upon one another was becoming more and more brutal. At one point, Signum had managed to wrap Laevatein's Schlagenform around Yuuno's leg and swung him about like a morning star. He collided with the far wall with such force that he nearly crumbled beneath the damage inflicted upon him. The General's face heated when he picked himself up and charged.

Yuuno knew that he was taking a beating and that defeat had a far greater probability of occurring than victory. His Barrier Jacket looked like it had been assaulted by a lawnmower and the numerous wounds adorning his body ranged from minor bruises to a broken nose and at least two broken ribs. Still, he wanted to go on. He wanted to fight her. To become better. To go closer to that seductive line she so often sought...

As Yuuno charged again from his battered position, Signum felt her heart swell. He wouldn't give in. He wouldn't let being outstripped by her deter him from his drive. While her foe had not managed to reach the same levels of offense that he had in their previous match, Yuuno was still giving everything he had to her. As she parried a punch aimed for her face, Signum saw the look in his eyes. He wanted to conquer her.

They continued to push each other, one more than the other, but still with everything they had. By the end of the battle's second hour, both were running out of power. Yuuno's attempts at grappling Signum had borne occasional fruit. He had even managed to mount her and deliver a flurry of blows before being bucked off. Signum had repaid the maneuver later, blow for blow in the same fashion, before being yanked off by an array of chains summoned by the man.

In the end, the bout ended with Yuuno on his back with Laevatein at his throat and Signum's knee upon his chest. Both were battered and bruised, skin slick with blood, and their clothing and armor had taken enough damage to render them indecent from more than a few angles. They remained in that position for some time as the blonde tried to see any way out that would not cost him his head.

Finally, Yuuno gave. "I yield, Signum." The surrender had come between ragged and heavy breaths that matched Signum's own.

She held him there for a few moments longer. "I accept," she spoke before rolling off of him. A satisfied smile graced her glowing, if not bloody, features. The pinkette lay next to him, basking in the after battle glow. Their heavy breathing being the only sound on the now silent battlefield.

It was some time before either spoke, but it was Yuuno who broke the silence. "Should I call for some assistance?"

"Wait a few moments more..." Signum requested as she stared upwards, "I would like to savor this a bit longer."

"Sure," Yuuno acquiesced softly, silently doing the same as she. All the while, neither noticing that they had an observer.

From just beyond the boundary of the combat field stood a certain brunette wearing a cross and confused expression, a very recognizable red jewel hovering by her shoulder. Nanoha had arrived hoping to have a well overdue chat with Signum, but had unfortunately shown up too late. She stood there for a time, watching the two lay next to one another and stare upwards at the sky. Various emotions warred deep within Nanoha, not quite certain how to place what she had just witnessed. In the end, she turned at left. There was much she now had to think about.


	4. Divided Hearts

First off, I'd like to extend my greatest thanks KnightOfCerberus for beta-ing this chapter and for helping me along with some of the ideas. Without him, this chapter wouldn't be where it is today.

Slight change of pace this time around, but a necessary one. I hope you all enjoy the latest installment of Swords and Shields while I work on finishing up the next chapter of Medieval Belka. Also, I've gone back and edited some of Signum's speech in chapters 1 and 2 to make it more appropriate for her manner of speaking.

As always, I own nothing and comments and criticisms are always welcome.

-Chapter Start-

Nanoha Takamachi had a great deal on her mind. She was seated in her office, re-watching the video feed portraying one of the most vicious battles she'd seen in recent memory. It was not the scenes of violence that bothered her; she herself had been party to more than a few bloody battles. No, it was whom the participants were that she had a problem with.

Never before in Nanoha's memory had the matches between Yuuno and Signum been so… intense. It was different from the times when both were at their best and putting everything into their efforts. Those matches never turned the pair into raging animals throwing themselves at each other in a mindless display of their baser instincts. Nor did they leave the battle broken, bloody, and half-naked at the end.

Well, on occasion they did. But never to this degree.

As Raising Heart began to play the recording again, Nanoha felt something uncomfortable settle into the pit of her stomach and it lay right next to the simmering anger at what had been done to Fate the previous week. Signum was on her way to this very office at the brunette's request, and she was certain the inevitable conversation would reveal things she would not be comfortable with.

She'd seen that battle hungry expression on Singum's face before; sometimes she had been on the receiving end of it. Whattruly disturbed Nanoha, more than the ferocity of the battle, was that Yuuno had donned a very similar expression on his own face. It was unsettling to see such a look on her childhood friend and teacher. Why was such a look planted so firmly on his face? What had prompted the two of them to go so far? Those questions and more swirled about her mind in the empty office.

For some time the only sound in the room was that of battle, and it was finally interrupted by three sharp, staccato knocks at the door.

Steeling herself for what was to come, Nanoha asked Raising Heart to pause the recording and called out to the person on the other side, "Come in." The door opened and into the office stepped the source of more than a few of the brunette's current concerns.

Signum stood in front of Nanoha's desk, stoic as ever. "You wished to see me, Takamachi," she stated without preamble. It was obvious from both her tone and her wording she knew at least some of what was to come.

Nanoha gestured to an empty chair across from her desk, "Have a seat, Signum." When the Knight did so, the brunette continued with folded hands and a stoic expression similar to the woman across from her, "You probably already know part of why I wanted to talk with you." Nanoha's current look was perhaps more unsettling than the fake smile she typically wore when she was more than midly displeased.

"You refer to my bout with Testarossa." If there was any sign of confusion on Signum's face at what Nanoha had said, she had either missed it or it was indiscernible at best.

Nodding, Nanoha's eyes narrowed as she spoke, "I want you to tell me exactly why you decided to beat Fate senseless."

The Knight maintained her stoic demeanor. "Testarossa allowed herself to become complacent. She gained only enough strength and skill to make use of Bardiche and nothing more. I was under the impression she was the kind of woman who strived for excellence." Signum paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing, "I felt it best that she learn the price of such a mindset."

There was no response from the brunette, only a stony silence.

"...I concede that my actions may have been in excess, but I will not apologize for them. Better for Testarossa to learn of her folly here, in a sparring session, than in the field, where such a lesson could very well cost her life," Signum finished flatly.

Nanoha raised an eyebrow at the Knight's words. It was one thing to hear the explanation from Fate or one of the other Wolkenritter. It was another thing entirely to hear it from the General of Fire herself. "You really believe that? You couldn't have just pointed that out to her instead of beating her sensel-"

Signum cut her off sharply, "And how would you have me prove it to her otherwise? Sugared words and gentle taps?"

"You could have told someone about it. Hayate, Vita, anyone! Me, or even Yuuno!" Nanoha snapped back, "We could have dealt with her problem without landing her in the hospital or breaking her spirit!" A part of the brunette knew she was greatly exaggerating a few details, but anger at what the pinkette before her had done to Fate was clouding her mind. "Aren't you her friend?"

"I am her friend, and as such I could not stand idly by when I realized the gravity of her situation," Signum responded just as sharply as before, but she maintained the composure Nanoha seemed to be losing.

Nanoha glared at Signum for a time as she worked to reign in her anger. She truly disliked losing her temper, but with everything that had been going on as of late it was unfortunately easy to do. Eventually, she responded with a concerned tone in her voice, "I'm not sure I can believe you."

Those words hit Signum as though she'd been physically struck by the brunette. "Excuse me?" Though her expression did not betray her shock, the tone in the Knight's voice did. Even if it was only a slight sliver of the emotion, it was still noticeable.

"Signum, we've gotten into some absolutely vicious battles before. You remember our match a few years back? When everyone was wondering who was stronger between the two of us?" Nanoha waited until Signum confirmed the memory before continuing, "I don't think I'll ever forget the expression on your face. More than wanting to beat me, you wanted to fight to your absolute limit. No holding back. Maximum power. Am I right?"

"I did indeed desire to fight you to my fullest capacity at the time, however I-" Signum's reply was cut off.

"I've seen you enjoy fights. It's simply part of who you are. But I've only seen you with that look in your eye one other time and I'm pretty sure if got my hands on the footage from when you fought Fate, it would be three," stated Nanoha with some sense of finality.

"I would appreciate it if you made your point." Signum may be a patient woman, but she did not appreciate being treated as though she were a child.

Nanoha sighed, "My point is that, for whatever reason, you wanted to fight Fate in a life or death struggle. And when she didn't deliver exactly that, you punished her for it. Whatever limitations you may have seen were just an excuse for you to try and push her into going all out, neither giving nor expecting mercy in return."

Signum's eyes flashed dangerously, "Takamachi, yo-"

"What happened between you and Yuuno? What could have possibly happened that caused you go after Fate like you did, and..." A motion of Nanoha's hand bade Raising Heart to bring up a paused shot of the recording. It was zoomed in on Yuuno and taken just after he had stood from being hurled into a wall. He was broken, beaten, bloody, and exuded with such an overwhelming desire to fight, to strike down his foe and dominate her that it was almost palpable from the screen. "... whatever it was, it was enough for you to want to turn Yuuno into that."

The image elicited an odd, tightening sensation within Signum's core. Her hands balled into fists as she recalled being on the receiving end of that gaze.

"I've never seen him make that kind of expression before, not once. I've never seen him fight this way either. I've never seen that kind, gentle man act so..." Nanoha trailed off as words failed her. "I'll ask again: What is going on between you and Yuuno?" She paused as she watched Raising Heart play back more of the battle. Nanoha nearly winced when Signum driving her armored foot into Yuuno's face came around.

Silence reigned as Signum processed what Nanoha had laid before her. While the Knight had truly seen such shortcomings in Testarossa's capabilities, had it merely been an excuse to go further? She thought back to the feelings that bubbled up within her breast when Yuuno had decided to throw caution to the wind and fight with everything he had. It didn't matter that she outclassed him in every way. He still fought on, trying to better himself with every blow they exchanged. Adapting himself to rise beyond his previously-held notions of his limitations. To become a sword, rather than a shield.

That feeling he had given her, that burning sensation… had she sought a similar feeling from Testarossa in their match? All her battles against Yuuno, however few they may have been, starting from the one which resulted from their chance meeting that fateful night had ignited such a heat within her. It was a high that only came about with the right mindset and the right stimulus.

Yuuno had kept her drunk on that high, and she had savored it like a fine wine. He'd given her that life or death struggle, and she had pushed him forwards to relish that high for even just a moment longer. For a 'battle-junkie', there was no greater satisfaction. Was she even concerned about his intentions at this stage, so long as he kept satisfying her primal urges?

The lack of an immediate answer disturbed the normally unshakeable General of Fire.

"Well?" asked Nanoha, having found the oppressive silence to have stretched on for too long.

"I..." For once, Signum did not have an immediate reply and she languished further in her concern. After a time, she opted to explain the beginning of things to Nanoha. "It began a few weeks ago..."

And so Signum told the tale of her unexpected late night rendezvous with Yuuno Scrya. She told of their first match where he made the initial decision to step beyond his limitations and strike out against her, culminating in their mutual decision to grow as warriors against one another. Her story flowed from there and Nanoha's expression seemed to waver between surprise and worry. The slivers of passion that slipped into Signum's voice on occasion did not soothe the brunette any.

"...it was wonderful. I can find no words to properly describe that feeling other than wonderful. Basking in the afterglow of such a vicious battle against someone with whom I can exchange blows with in earnest..." Signum's words sent a shiver down Nanoha's spine while the faint traces of red on the Knight's face seemed wholly out of place. "I have never known such a feeling... Against you, your drive was only to win, was it not?"

Nanoha felt herself nodding as the surreal nature of the situation continued to permeate her mind.

"Even against Zest, whom I shall always regard as a great and formidable foe, I had not felt such a feeling." Signum subconsciously wetted her lips. "Scrya, however, fights like a man possessed. He is driven by neither ideals, nor the approval of others, nor something so fleeting as victory." A strange glint appeared in the Knight's eyes that did not go unnoticed by Nanoha. "He is driven by the singular desire to become strong enough to dominate his foe and relish in doing so..."

"Signum...," began Nanoha after the other woman had gone silent, a look of horror having taken residence on the brunette's face as she began to realize just how deep Signum's distortion ran, "Have you completely lost your mind? You said that you were going to help him improve himself, not turn him into a maniac and use him as a... a-a toy to relieve yourself with!"

Signum's eyes widened at Nanoha's accusation, but she was unable to retort as the White Devil continued on, "Yuuno's not that kind of person. He's a kind man who loves books and history, not battles!"

"Then explain to me what that is," demanded Signum harshly as she stood, pointing to the maddened look in Yuuno's eyes on the paused recording. "That does not look like a man whose life's ambition is to sit at a desk turning the pages of musky tomes. That looks like a man who would step up to the greatest of foes and do everything in his power to make them submit to him."

Nanoha's eyes narrowed. "That looks like a man twisted into something to fulfill your own kinks. You may have started out with good intentions, but at this point you're just using him for your own benefit and nothing else. You're toying with him. And with how things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if you tossed him aside the moment you got bored with him!" she finished with a raised voice that carried more anger than Signum had ever heard from the brunette before.

The Knight's hand twitched before balling into a fist. "You dare accuse me of that, Takamachi Nanoha? You would dare to think I would sully both my honor and his by acting in such a despicable manner?"

"I think you already have. Whether you realize it or not," stated Nanoha with a finality that shook the other woman.

Signum's fire left her and she fell back into her seat, an unusual and uncomfortable expression upon her face. "What would you have me do? I may have sparked his drive, but he is ultimately the one who decides whether or not to pursue it, regardless of my own involvement."

"That's... I don't have an answer for you. If I knew, I'd tell you. It's something you'll have to work out yourself, with Yuuno. But I'll tell you this right now...," Nanoha trailed off as she took a deep breath, "Yuuno is a very important person to me, more than you probably realize. If you don't fix this, and he ends up hurt because of it, there will be no place you can hide from me. Do you understand me, Captain Signum Yagami?"

The Knight felt the sincerity and power behind Nanoha's words and nodded, even if she did not truly know what to make of them at that moment. At the very minimum, she had much more to think about now than simply what her next bout would be like.

- Scene Break -

To say that the Infinity Library was a massive place would be something of an understatement. It was constantly growing, with more and more tomes, scrolls, and data files added to its shelves every day. Unfortunately, this made navigating the halls a rather difficult task unless you either had a map or a guide, or were a constant presence in the library.

"Mmm! Where is he?" grumbled Reinforce Zwei as she suffered from that exact problem. Even if she usually came to the library with Hayate, who was a rather frequent visitor, Zwei was still not nearly as familiar with the layout as her mother.

It did not help that she was looking more for a specific individual rather than a specific piece of information. She'd have called him ahead of time, but she didn't want to give him the opportunity of being prepared for her questions.

Right now, though, she was regretting her decision of conducting a sneak attack. At the very least, she knew that Yuuno Scrya was near his office, assuming Arf's information was correct. "...I think I'm lost," Zwei said aloud as she pulled up the map again. Sure enough, her location was now further away from Yuuno's office than it had been ten minutes ago.

"Zwei?"

"Hya!" the Unison Device squeaked in alarm before whirling about to lay her eyes upon the one who had snuck up on her. To her welcome surprise, it was the very man she'd been looking for. "Y-Yuuno! Don't sneak up on people like that!" she admonished after regaining her senses.

"Ah, right. Sorry about that," Yuuno apologized with a smile, his arms carrying a stack of rather old looking tomes. "Anyway, what can I do for you Zwei? It's rare for you to come by without Hayate."

Blinking as she remembered her self-appointed task, Zwei flew up closer to Yuuno's face. "I have to talk with you about something important, Yuuno."

The expression on Zwei's face conveyed the seriousness of her words to Yuuno. "We should talk in my office then. It'll keep anyone else from overhearing," he replied before gesturing with his head for her to follow him.

Much to Zwei's consternation, it took all of three minutes to reach Yuuno's office. It had taken her nearly twenty just to get as far as he did and even then she had gotten lost in the end.

"Stupid map...," she mumbled while glaring at the holographic display.

"Ahh... Sorry about that. We're expanding some of the sections on Ancient Belka and the Nasuvians. The maps haven't been updated yet." The blonde's words did not do much to appease Zwei, who shut the large doors of the office behind her while Yuuno set the heavy books down on his desk.

Before Yuuno could offer Zwei a seat, she had assumed her fully grown form and stood imperiously before him. Although the effect was slightly offset by her still being shorter than him and she had to stare upwards to lock eyes, she managed to project an image of authority. "Yuuno Scrya!"

"Y-yes?" he stammered in response to Zwei's sudden offense.

"What are your intentions towards my sister?" demanded the young, blue-eyed woman pointing a finger at his nose. She didn't care if she was the baby of the family; Zwei was going to do everything she could to look out for her mother and older sisters. Even if that meant antagonizing their long-time friend.

"Your sister? What are you talking about?" asked Yuuno, blatant confusion evident on his face.

"Don't try to play dumb," Zwei retorted with some fire in her voice, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. And don't think you won't be hearing from everyone else either. We haven't even given you proper approval in the first place. I'll permit it only so long as you follow the proper laws for courting one of the Wolkenritter!"

Yuuno had gone from confused to bewildered to flabbergasted, to say nothing of the embarrassment creeping up his spine. "Would you please explain what's going on and what you mean by 'courting'?" Last he checked, he wasn't in that kind of relationship with anyone.

Zwei gave a frown of irritation and placed her hands on her hips. "If you're going to be dating my big sister, there are rules you're going to have to follow. I won't have you treating her badly or taking advantage of her kindness." She ignored the poleaxed look on the librarian's face as she continued, not letting him get a word in edgewise.

"Firstly, you will treat her well and with proper respect. Signum's a good woman who deserves it and I won't have you trampling all over her heart. Secondly, you'll have her home by curfew as set by Lady Hayate. No more mysterious late night funny business, got it? You're not even married yet! Thirdly, if you try to force her into something she doesn't want or make her cry, I'll make sure they never find your body! Fourthly...," Zwei seemed to be running out of steam, but did not stop.

"Fourthly... Err... You'll take her to nice places on dates. No dingy bars or the cafeteria on base. Make sure it's the full deal. Full candlelit dinner, music, romance, the works! The whole nine yards! Fifthly... Um...," she paused and scratched her head as she tried to think of something.

"Zwei!" Yuuno called out, taking advantage of her stalling and causing the powder blue haired young woman to jump in surprise. "Zwei, please back up and explain why you think I'm dating Signum."

"Y-your're not? That's even worse! Taking advantage of her like that; how could you? I-I thought you were a better man than that..." Zwei looked truly distraught as she drew her own conclusions from Yuuno's words and her already limited knowledge of the truth of the situation between Signum and the blonde standing before her.

"What in the Kaiser's name has gotten into you? Signum's just helping me with my training," he explained quickly, trying to assuage Zwei's fears.

"T-Training?" she inquired slowly.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Yuuno continued, "Training. I've hit a wall where my own ability is concerned and Signum offered to help me with it. We're not in that kind of relationship." Though if he were to be honest, he would not deny the pull that Signum held over him. It was different from the attraction he had once harbored for Nanoha. It was more ...tangible, solid, if he were to describe it.

"Then why does Signum come home so happy from training with you?" Zwei pressed on, not quite ready to believe Yuuno's denial.

Yuuno crossed his arms and looks thoughtful for a moment, as though thinking of how to explain that. "Well... We don't train like how Nanoha or Vita train the new recruits. We just... fight. She... seems to enjoy it. I'll admit that I do as well." He scratched his cheek in embarrassment as he recalled his own developing battle-lust going head-to-head with Signum.

"It gets pretty vicious, but she's helped me far more like this method by standard means. And we've only had three sessions so far," Yuuno admitted somewhat sheepishly.

The wind having been taken out of her sails, Zwei slumped over a bit. "Then... I was worried over nothing?"

Yuuno patted her head affectionately. "Hardly. Signum's lucky to have a little sister like you watching out for her."

"D-don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easily. Even if you aren't dating Signum now, that doesn't mean you might not want to in the future. So I want you to remember what I've said," stated Zwei, trying to build up a stern composure as the heavy atmosphere lifted.

"I'll do that. But, you forgot something." Yuuno gave a small grin at Zwei's confused look. "You told me four of the rules, but not the fifth."

"Ah! I almost forgot. The fifth rule is that you must take Signum's little sister out for ice cream. Otherwise she'll make things very difficult for you in the long run." Zwei maintained her stern look at least until Yuuno gave a sigh of resignation.

"I suppose I have no choice then...," he stated in mock despair. "If I am to return to the good graces of the Yagami family, I must find an ice cream parlor and treat their youngest to a frozen treat worthy of her." He knew it was hammy, but he couldn't resist in the face of Zwei's demands.

Zwei giggled in response. "Hurry up, then. It's not proper to make a lady wait."

"Especially if that lady is my good friend and training partner's little sister," quipped Yuuno as he gathered his jacket and sent a message to Arf, explaining his sudden absence.

"You learn quickly," Zwei stated winningly.


	5. Understanding

Sorry about the... insane delay. Between graduation, job hunting, and life, I have made you wait far too long for this. Chapter 6 should be done _far_ sooner. So don't worry about another months long delay.

We're shifting gears here, so hang on and enjoy the ride~.

Usual disclaimers apply and feedback is always appreciated.

-Chapter Start-

Much to Zwei's delight, there happened to be an ice cream parlor within a relatively short distance of the Infinity Library. 64 Flavors was the parlor's name, and judging from the bustle, appeared to be rather popular.

Though Yuuno would admit he wished the parents would keep a better eye on their children. He'd been kicked in the shins twice already, a fact Zwei found to be most amusing if her snickering was any indication.

"Yes, yes, let's all laugh at the ferret's misfortune," Yuuno stated with some good-natured sarcasm after a third child turned Zwei's snickering into blatant giggles. He noticed they were approaching the front of the line and turned to his pale haired companion, "Do you know what you want?"

Zwei placed a finger to her lips in a contemplative manner, "Hmm... I'm really torn between the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion. Ooh, they both look so good." Not only did they look delicious, but also appeared to contain enough chocolate to fill Zwei's mouth with cavities. The young woman's love of the sweet was not something to be trifled with.

"You should decide quickly. We're next," he cautioned Zwei, who appeared to look more and more undecided with each passing second. When her blue eyes looked like they had taken up playing ping-pong, Yuuno sighed and resigned himself to his choice with a small smile. So much for vanilla…

Not a moment later, it was their turn. The server behind the counter greeted them with a smile that turned into a grin when she took a better look at the pair, "Welcome to 64 Flavors, the best ice cream in the TSA. What can I get for the father-daughter pair?"

There was a pause as they two processed the server's words, Zwei turning scarlet and Yuuno coughing into his hand to try and salvage his calm. "Um… we'll have one scoop of the Divine Chocolate Buster and the Nova Cocoa Explosion each," He requested in an embarrassed tone, the concept of clarifying the misidentification not even crossing his mind.

The server bit back a chuckle at her customer's reactions as she entered their order into her terminal. It had been on a whim, but the lighthearted assumption was not too out of the blue, considering she'd been dealing with parents and children for the better part of her shift. At least they seemed to be good sports about it if she happened to be wrong. Though the lack of immediate denial on their part certainly added to her mirth.

"Coming right up, pops."

The server seemed far too amused by their supposed relationship in Yuuno's opinion. As best he could tell, he and Zwei didn't share any physical features to begin with, and he didn't look old enough to fill the role. Not with Zwei at the very least... did he?

There was no follow up to the server's comment and Yuuno paid the requested number of credits for the frozen treats. Both of which were served up in a few minutes, much to Zwei's unconcealed delight. He offered his companion one of the two cups, and they sought out a booth where they could enjoy their impromptu dessert.

"You like it?" questioned Yuuno rhetorically when he saw the blissful smile on the young woman's face after she had ravished a spoonful of the deadly chocolate construct. He took a bite of his own and suppressed a wince; he liked chocolate, but this was just overkill.

Zwei nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks a lot, Dad." The grin on her face let him know she found the server's view — and his resulting embarrassment — to be rather amusing.

The blonde man sighed, "I'm not going to live that down am I?"

"Nope!" She responded with a smile. "Besides, it's not completely inaccurate, now is it?"

He gave a smile of his own in return. "Not really, no. Ah, you've got some on your face." Yuuno picked up a napkin and lightly wetted it with his tongue before reached over and wiping the errant smear of chocolate from Zwei's face, eliciting a light blush and an embarrassed pout from her.

They spent their time chatting about mindless things, ranging from the library to Hayate's latest cosplaying schemes. Every now and then, Zwei would steal a bit of Yuuno's own ice cream, though he didn't complain or offer any resistance to her actions.

After a while, Zwei took on a somewhat serious look as she stared down at her empty cup. "Yuuno, do you mind if I ask you something?" She fidgeted slightly in her seat.

Yuuno looked a little confused. "Sure, what's wrong?" If earlier was any indication, she was likely going to ask something about her pink-haired elder sibling.

She shifted in her seat before raising her gaze to meet Yuuno's. "Um... what do you think of Signum?" Zwei's innocent blue eyes held neither a hint of teasing nor evidence of mischief.

"Of Signum, huh..." stated Yuuno before leaning back into the padded seat of the parlor. He closed his eyes in thought, drowning out the world around him as he focused on the mental image of the Wolkenritter's leader. Every expression she made, every curve of her body as she danced with her sword, all of it and more flooded into his mind.

"I think... I think she's a powerful and strong-willed woman. One who never gives up and who loves her family very much." He paused for a moment, opening his eyes as he did so. "...I also think she is an incredibly beautiful individual, perhaps the most beautiful I've ever seen," he admitted with a tinge of red upon his cheeks.

I see..." Zwei trailed off as she considered Yuuno's words. In all honestly, she was hoping for a bit more of an explanation from him. Maybe he didn't quite know what he thought of her sister. Still, she had been expecting the comment about Signum's beauty. Zwei knew Signum was a strikingly gorgeous woman and many others shared that opinion. "Why do you think she's so beautiful?"

Why?" Yuuno clarified, receiving an affirmative nod. "It's... not something that can easily be put into words, but I'll try." He searched his mind for a comparison that would work, and ultimately continued returning to one in particular. "Which would you consider more beautiful? A sword sheathed and resting on a peaceful mantelpiece or a sword being used as it was meant to be?"

Zwei seemed a little puzzled at Yuuno's comparison, but urged him on regardless, which he obliged. "I think both are beautiful scenes, but the sword in motion is so much more so. It's in its element, where it can fulfill its purpose and exert itself to the fullest. Kinda like Nanoha when she takes to the sky or Fate when she's working hard on a case. They're in their element, and doing what they enjoy. They're content. That's why I believe that Signum in the heat of battle is the most beautiful Signum of all," finished Yuuno with a smile upon his face.

For her part, Zwei was rendered speechless by the time Yuuno finished. After a while, she crossed her arms and took up a thoughtful expression. No words were spoken for a long while, even after the young woman relaxed her posture. Finally, she nodded, "I approve."

Yuuno's questioning glance was met with a mischievous smile.

-Scene Break-

It was later that evening, after having enjoyed a rather delicious and enjoyable dinner with the family, when Signum found herself lost in thought. She was lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. The meeting with Nanoha earlier in the day was still fresh in her mind.

The points Takamachi had raised against her, the accusations… each one was forcing Signum to take a long, hard look within herself and re-examine the events leading up to her confrontation with the Ace of Aces.

Her first bout with Scrya, the match which had started their descent into this madness, came to mind. It had started simple enough; two combatants trading blows as a means of testing one another's skill. She would admit the match had been... lackluster, to put it one way. It had contained none of their usual drive at the onset, though she could blame some of it on her being fresh and Scrya having been at it for a considerable time beforehand.

Then he had changed the game. Scrya had abandoned his tried and true method of defensive combat to lash out at her. It had been clumsy and ill-executed, but the surprise of it had allowed him to land a single, powerful strike against her. Signum would admit she found the fire within her to be overwhelming at that moment.

It wouldn't be until they spoke afterwards would she discover why he'd taken such action. At the time, she wanted to see it through. Help turn him into a proper warrior who could do more than just hold a shield. She wanted him to take up his sword, left idle and rusted beneath his mighty bulwark. But it had changed so rapidly. In the course of hours, her direction had begun to warp under fantasy.

Signum wanted to see what kind of mighty blade Scrya had hidden from them all, from her. She would strip those layers of rust from his weapon and polish it until it shone as brightly as his shield.

Their second bout had further warped her desire to see him flourish as a warrior. Scrya had been feeding her exactly what she wanted: a fight without limits. Looking back she could painfully and honestly admit by the end of the match, she was less concerned about him becoming a more skilled combatant, and more with the dark, seductive thrills he was giving her.

Takamachi's words about her bout with Testarossa came to the forefront. Regardless of her own reasoning, Signum now realized her desire for a bout of warfare had bled so thoroughly into her match with the blonde woman it had become a thuggish beat down.

Why had she allowed herself to fall so far? To drink so deeply of Scrya's offered wine without considering the consequences? In only two bouts with him, she had become drunk enough to pulverize Testarossa and savor every moment of it. She recalled the feeling of Laevatein carving out the air in an effort to cut the blonde down, the crunching feeling of hardened foot and fist meeting flesh. It had not lit the same fire as it had with Scrya, but it had ignited all the same.

But... What did not change was the fact the fire had been lit in the first place.

Signum's face burned as she began thinking about her last match against Scrya. He had been so driven, so determined to conquer and violate her role as the oppressor. Even so outmatched as he was, he never gave in. She wetted her lips at the thoughts coming to mind. Vicious exchanges, their bodies slick with blood and sweat, every sinfully delicious image of combat with him.

A heat began to rise within her, only to be brutally washed away by the chilling reminder of Takamachi's accusation of using Scrya as a... toy. Could she honestly deny the thrill he had brought her in their last battle? Signum felt she could not. It made the accusation of her ability to cast him aside like a used rag all the more worrisome.

The image of tossing Scrya aside the moment he was unable to stoke the flames of her battle lust was... uncomfortable. It left a harsh feeling in the center of her breast. Signum attempted to conjure up images of other warriors taking his place, but no matter how vicious the battle, no matter how violent the exchanges… none of them reached the same level her deadly dances with Scrya had. It mattered not how powerful nor how driven her theoretical foes were. None came close.

The harsh feeling worsened to a nearly physical pain as Signum imagined the scenario of breaking Scrya, leaving him dead and ruined as she devoured him in battle. Consuming so greedily of the offered fruit there was nothing left of him. She did not desire such an outcome, but Takamachi's tirade had made such a possibility impossible to ignore.

She wanted to engage in battle with him beyond this now warped arrangement.

She reached towards the ceiling of her room. "I... do not wish for this to end, but I do not wish to break him, either..." In the silence of her room, Signum made a promise to herself: she would not abstain from drinking of his wine and tasting of his fruit, but she would endeavor to do so in moderation. Failure would ultimately... shatter him.

The question still lingered in the back of her mind however.

Could she?

-Scene Break-

It was days later when a certain call came in and Signum soon found herself struck with the sudden desire to be anywhere but the chair upon which she was currently seated. Sitting across from her on the couch was her Lady Hayate, looking rather... irate. Yes, irate was the best way to describe her Master's current mood.

"Signum, I would greatly appreciate an explanation for the rather peculiar message I received today courtesy of Knight Carim." Hayate's voice was amiable on the surface, but held an undercurrent of irritation and general displeasure. Signum idly wondered if she was going to wind up in the maid outfit again.

Hayate arched an eyebrow. "Something about 'boot camp'?"

Definitely the maid outfit.

Steeling herself, Signum held nothing back. "After my recent match with Testarossa, I came to discover what I believed to be a number of... uncomfortable truths."

"Go on," the brunette prompted with a flat expression. Whatever 'truths' her Knight believed she had found in the wake of her battle with Fate were sure to be interesting, to say the least; particularly if she had not revealed them until forced to.

"Many were in regards to Testarossa herself, but it led me to consider similar situations with the other members of our group. Particularly you, Lady Hayate." When Hayate did not respond, Singum continued, "I am well aware you have always been a hard worker, but your... physical constitution has me concerned, especially after so many years behind a desk."

"Signum, are you saying I'm fat?" Hayate asked incredulously. She could hardly believe her ears. Did Signum honestly think she had let herself go to the point of needing military-grade training to get into shape? Sure, she wasn't as fit as she'd have liked, but she took good care of herself and kept in shape as well as she could considering the amount of time she spent at her desk. It hardly required such drastic measures.

The pinkette blinked as she processed the brunette's question. "No, that is not what I am saying. I am more concerned with your ability to stand up to a foe in close quarters. You yourself once said Ru Lushe was more than capable of besting you in hand-to-hand combat."

Hayate sighed and put her head in her hands, bemoaning Signum's too-serious attitude in places. "Signum, that was a joke… and an old one to boot."

"I am well aware. However, following my encounter with Testarossa... it did not seem so amusing," admitted Signum with some slight hesitation.

"That still doesn't explain why you pulled in a favor from Carim to sign me up for boot camp, much less not tell me about it in the first place." The brunette had a feeling she knew where the conversation was headed now, but wanted to hear it from straight from Signum's lips.

Signum had the decency to look abashed at Hayate's words. "I... do not have an excuse for not informing you. For that, I apologize and ask your forgiveness." She bowed her head towards her Master before raising it and looking the brunette eye to eye. "However, I felt arranging for such a rigorous training regimen as the Church's Knights go through was for the best. You will be stronger as a result, and better able to defend yourself."

There was an uncomfortable silence before Signum continued. "...We cannot always be there to protect you. I would rather bear your displeasure at my actions on this matter than carry your death or worse as a result of my inaction." The pinkette paused for a moment, her expression steely. "Consider a foe who manages to survive your onslaught from a distance, perhaps a specialist in close-range. How would you defend yourself?"

Hayate seemed to have taken on a thoughtful expression, not liking the truth behind Signum's words but unable to deny it either. The possibilities were... unpleasant at best, the makings of her more feared nightmares at worst. It sent a chill down her spine.

"As it stands, you would be at their complete mercy. Not even Rein would be able to help you at that range." The General of Fire's expression softened slightly as a pleading look crossed her eyes. "Please, Lady Hayate, undertake this trial. For your own safety, I implore you."

The pinkette had bowed her head once more and was unprepared to be embraced by her Master, who had cleared the distance between them in short order. "Lady Hayate?"

"You're an idiot, you know that?" whispered Hayate fondly. Truly, even with all her strengths, her General was a most foolish woman. But she was part of her beloved family all the same.

Hayate tightened the embrace for a moment more before releasing the baffled Knight. "I appreciate why you're doing this for me. I really do. Just... talk to me the next time you think about pulling a stunt like this." She paused to take a steadying breath. "I can't fix anything if I don't know why it needs fixing in the first place. Just thrusting someone into the fire doesn't always work out for the better."

Signum opened her mouth to raise a counterpoint, but decided against it. Hayate's finger upon her lips also silenced her argument.

"It may be working for you and Yuuno in your bizarre sense of foreplay, but it won't work with me. Understand?" Hayate wondered if she was a bad person for enjoying the flabbergasted look on the pinkette's face. "I'll go through with Carim's training, but I want you to cool your head for a bit." her expression turned more serious. "I'm worried about you and Yuuno. I'm afraid you're going to break each other at the rate you're going. That one day you'll go too far or he'll lose himself in the fight."

The reddish tint on Signum's cheeks did not go unnoticed by Hayate as the Knight replied. "I... have been thinking on our situation as well. I will attempt to keep a more level head in our next meeting. I enjoy our matches, but I do not wish to destroy him in my... desire for combat."

Hayate nodded with a smile. "That's all I can really ask. But, as a suggestion." Signum looked questioning at her words. "He's experienced your world this whole time. That's not really fair to him. Why not look into his?"

"... it will serve as a much-needed reprieve in our training at the very least." Signum's attempts to evade the true nature of the suggestion were met with a grin from her Master.

The brunette gave an amused huff before beginning to walk towards the staircase. "Well, I suppose that'll do for now. I should start packing." She turned back to Signum with a positively evil glint in her eyes. "Oh, before I forget: you'll be wearing the maid outfit again. I just got a new camera."

Signum wondered if it was too late to track Vita down and use her as a sacrificial lamb.

-Scene Break-

"You want to come with me?" clarified Yuuno with a look of confusion on his face as he placed his hands on his desk. He had been in the process of finalizing personnel assignments for the week or so he planned to be gone on the dig when Signum had marched into his office, a resolute expression on her features.

Forgoing an offered seat and skipping straight to the heart of her intention, she had, in no uncertain terms, requested to accompany him on his upcoming archaeological expedition. It had come as such a surprise he was certain he had been hearing things. Often, he went on these digs by himself. On rare occasion, he would be accompanied by a small team or a student interested in the field. Signum was perhaps one of the last people he'd expected to express an interest in joining him.

"Correct." Signum's blunt confirmation continued when it looked as though he was about to ask the inevitable 'Why?' "I have been ...curious about the world you live in." Her recent talk with Lady Hayate came to mind. She had thought upon the ...imbalance which existed in their agreement thus far and did not approve of it.

Yuuno raised an eyebrow at her specific wording. "Signum, you've never expressed any interest in archaeology or history in all the years I've known you." He paused. "...I don't mind you coming along, but I'd like to know why the sudden interest at the very least."

The pinkette's demeanor shifted slightly, and to Yuuno she almost seemed a slight embarrassed. "...I am simply curious as to why you enjoy the company of such ancient artifacts and tomes. Perhaps it will provide a better means of understanding how you see the world when we next do battle." The last portion of her statement had been added hastily, but the blonde did not seem to have noticed.

"Hmm..." Yuuno appeared contemplative as he mulled over Signum's explanation. He certainly didn't mind her coming along, but it seemed a bit much to find out why he enjoyed his work as much as he did. Still, her company would be greatly appreciated, even if part of her reasoning was tied into their arrangement. "Alright, I can accept that. But, wouldn't you like to know what exactly you're getting yourself into first?"

It was a rather important thing to know, and a look of realization crossed Signum's features as she processed Yuuno's words. "Ah, yes. ...That would be a vital piece of information." How could she have forgotten one of the simplest things? When she had asked Arf about the possibility of Yuuno going off on a dig in the near future, she had neglected to ask where it would be or what he would be doing. She felt the oversight was most unbecoming of her.

Yuuno merely smiled as he leaned back into his chair. "You wouldn't be the first person to forget that detail." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I'll be investigating an underground ruin reported to belong to the Ancient Belkans. Its located on the fifth planet in the Bael system and aside from the local wildlife, should be free of trouble. Supposedly there is a temple down there and Its somehow managed to avoid being raided by pillagers after all this time. Even we were lucky to find it. It was discovered by TSA Investigators by accident while seeing if the planet was suitable for colonization and they called me in to take the first look."

He seemed to be quite excited about the find and did not stop. "Even relatively untouched sites are a rarity. To be able to examine, in detail, a virgin ruin is a great honor and something many could spend their entire careers never finding. The knowledge that could be gained. The artifacts we could find. Such sites usually end up rewriting a page or two of history as we know it, if not more." There was a manic gleam in his eyes which reminded Signum of their most recent bout and she fought back a shiver at the memory.

After staring into the distance for a short time, Yuuno coughed with embarassment and tried to look more composed. "...Anyway, that's what the dig is about. If you're still interested. I'd be happy to have you along."

"I am and you have my thanks for accepting this selfish request of mine." A wry grin appeared on her face. "At the very least, you will not be lacking in protection should things turn hostile." Her words garnered an amused chuckle from the blonde. Perhaps now, she could bear witness to more of his world, just as he had experienced hers, and also see just what it was about such topics that garned such a feverent reaction.

"This is true. We won't be able to have any of our matches though," cautioned Yuuno. "Dig sites are usually too fragile to survive heavy fighting and I don't want to run the risk, especially with this site." The potential destruction of such irreplaceable and valuable knowledge was not something he wanted on his head.

Signum nodded in understanding. "This will be a suitable reprieve in our training then. We have been rather ...hasty, in our development." She paused a moment before continuing. "When will we be departing and is there anything in particular you feel I should bring?" She was inexperienced in this line of work and did not wish to be caught unawares.

"Aside from toiletries and a sleeping bag? Comfortable and durable clothing you don't mind running the risk of getting damaged. Things that breathe easy are best here since the weather is supposed to be rather muggy," informed Yuuno, thinking about the first few times he'd failed to follow such advice from his seniors. It had not been a pleasant experience for him. "You'd best get ready soon. I'm leaving the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

"Very well, I shall contact you again later this evening to finalize the arrangements." Signum mentally tallied just how much of certain supplies were available at home and what she would have to stop by the story to obtain on the way home.

Yuuno nodded with a smile. "I'll be expecting it."

A brief bow of thanks preceded Signum's words. "I am grateful for your acceptance of my request, Scrya. I would like to speak further, but I must return to my post."

"No problem, I'll talk with you later to give you more of the details." He waved goodbye to the Knight as she left. The dig would certainly be more interesting with the swordswoman present.

-Chapter End-


	6. Discovery

Here we go, the promised chapter 6 without an utterly massive delay. I hope you all enjoy it. Comments and criticisms are always welcome and are a great help. They let me know where I'm going wrong and when I'm doing something right.

Again, many thanks to KnightOfCerberus for doing the beta work for this chapter.

-Chapter Start-

It was some days later when the Librarian and the Knight finally placed their feet upon the land; a land which had not entertained settlers upon its surface for millennia. Beyond the large clearing where they were to make camp stood all manner of alien vegetation, vast mountain ranges, cliffs and hills in the distance. The humid air clung to their skin.

Not twenty meters from the clearing was the opening to a massive cave. The entry stood like a gaping maw, a mouth leading to the belly of the rock and looking as though it may lunge up to devour them whole. Lining the entrance like shining fangs was an array of torches which had been placed by the survey team, fueled by mana cells. Upon a closer glance, they could see the torches leading further into the cave. It was the throat of the land they would traverse until they reached the darkest depths of it, and the ruins which lay deep within, undisturbed until now.

The clearing itself was not without its own furnishings provided by the hands of man. Myriad crates of numerous sizes, some empty and others filled with supplies, lay stacked about in easily accessible arrangements. Their dull, plastic gray surfaces matched the sizable, prefabricated domicile in the center of the clearing. It would be both their home and workstation. Yuuno had used such shelters numerous times on other digs when able, and appreciated their convenience.

He was grateful he could avoid using a tent to do his work and rest. While he did not mind such arrangements, the current one was a most welcome alternative.

Glancing a look to his companion, Yuuno thought back to the past few days leading up to their arrival on Bael-5. Things had been... eventful to say the least.

The revelation of Signum's warped machinations involving her Mistress and shipping the brunette off to what amounted to boot camp had gone over about as well as could be expected. Granted, he'd only made the discovery owing to the swordswoman's slightly flushed face when she had rendezvoused with him for their own trip. The data file she had given him from Hayate and the note to not examine its contents unless Signum began acting up had resulted in a fair number of questions, questions answered in a clipped and embarrassed tone which provided no real answers. Yuuno could only begin to wonder just what Hayate and the remaining Wolkenritter had done in retribution.

Under normal circumstances, his departure to another archeological escapade would entail little to no fanfare. This time, however, Nanoha and Reinforce Zwei had seen fit to see them off at the last moment with what little time they had before clocking in for the day. Fortunately, Signum's demeanor had returned to its stoic and controlled norm by the time the White Devil and the Unison Device had arrived. Farewells and good lucks were exchanged, though a few pointed looks were granted to both himself and Signum from Zwei and Nanoha respectively.

He swore the powder blue-haired young woman had given him a thumbs up before they boarded their shuttle.

The trip itself had been taken on a Bureau-provided transport shuttle. Large enough to hold a fair number of artifacts, should any be recovered, but small enough to be flown by one person. Yuuno had spent much of the trip going over some of the ins and outs of archaeological work with his companion. Though he tried to keep a level head, Signum had been forced to pull his head from the clouds more than once when he began rambling. It was difficult to not be enthusiastic when speaking of his first passion. He would admit, though, it had been rather amusing to see Signum balk at some of his instructions and tales.

He had stepped into her world of death and war. Now she was venturing into his world of history and research. It made it all the more difficult to maintain his composure.

Shaking his head to return his thoughts to the present, Yuuno turned to Signum, adjusting one of the many duffel bags resting on his shoulders as he did so. "Let's get settled in. We've got a long day ahead of us." His stomach growled as he finished. "...Some dinner wouldn't hurt either."

"Indeed it would not." Signum's agreement was coupled with a look of amusement. They had only partaken of rather tasteless Meals Ready to Eat on the trip here, the shuttle not having the systems or space to prepare a proper one. She was rather pleased they would not be forced to eat such fare once they arrived planet-side. While perfectly fine with military-esque rations, she would rather avoid it when able.

Signum would freely admit she had been spoiled by Hayate's scrumptious cooking, though never aloud.

Together they set about preparing the domicile for their short time living there. It was a rather unusual scene, quite domestic if one were to look at it from the proper angle. Signum set about stowing away their clothing and what supplies she had brought under Yuuno's directions, though he had been a bit too late in informing her of which duffel contained his undergarments. It had been a very awkward moment when she held up a pair of boxers which had "Starlight Breaker" emblazoned across the crotch. Understanding dawned when Yuuno had spoken the name of a certain Admiral, though it did not alleviate their mutual embarrassment.

Yuuno busied himself with preparing the equipment for the dig and daily life. Signum had found it rather amusing when a misplaced footstep had landed his head in a waste bin. He had shot her a bland look in return.

Eventually they had their gear and supplies prepared for the next day, along with their "home" for the remainder of the stay. Not long after, the growling of demanding stomachs turned their attention to dinner. Yuuno took it upon himself to cook something up and bade Signum to take a seat.

As Yuuno set about making something filling and relatively quick to make, soup to be accurate, Signum stared at the man's back. She had never truly had the chance to simply sit down and look at him. Whenever they met by themselves, it was almost always for work or, more recently, for heated battles. Heated battles which often seemed to leave them clad in... very little. She shoved aside the heat growing within her and upon her cheeks. Now was not the time for fantasy.

Yuuno Scrya, Head of the Infinity Library. His passion for knowledge and the past was second to no-one she knew, and he was loyal to his friends on a level which many would find surprising. The man's skill with defensive magics was impressive, to say the least. A walking fortress. Yet, she could always recall he seemed so... small.

Now, as she watched him in silence, something seemed to have changed. Their fevered exchanges had shown the Scrya in a violent, vicious light. A light she found... attractive. Desirable.

Signum blinked as she took in the sight of Yuuno Scrya, her mind awash with all she had discovered about him. Things known to all and things unknown even to his closest friends.

Was he always so tall? His back so broad?

"-num. Signum." Yuuno's voice managed to breach the haze through which her mind had enveloped itself in. She looked up, wondering when exactly he had stopped cooking. "I've been trying to get your attention for a while now. Dinner's ready." To accentuate his point, he set down a steaming bowl of what appeared to be noodle soup in a thick broth before her.

"Ah. My thanks, Scrya." Her voice was a slight off, primarily owing to having been caught unawares by the subject of her thoughts. An odd expression crossed Yuuno's face after she thanked him, prompting a raised eyebrow from the pink haired woman. "Is something wrong?"

Yuuno took his seat opposite Signum. "If it's alright, would you mind addressing me by my given name?" He paused to scratch his cheek. "We've known each other for over ten years now, and..." His voice trailed off, not entirely certain how to word their recent interactions. It just seemed rather impersonal at this point.

She had not been expecting the man to make such a request, nor was she aware it bothered him. It was how she addressed everyone she knew, with the obvious exception of her family. One might say it was a wall of formality she kept around herself rather than her standard manner of speech. Considering their previous bouts, bouts which had drawn them closer in ways she could never have anticipated, Signum decided she could allow such an exception. "I do not mind... Yuuno."

The name felt unfamiliar to her lips, but not unpleasant.

As the blonde man smiled, she gave an amused grin. "Though I recall you never did ask permission to use my given name, did you." The embarrassment on Yuuno's face was well worth the lighthearted jab.

His eyes widened in realization. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't..." Yuuno's attempts at an apology were halted when Signum raised a hand.

"I do not mind. Simply be more thoughtful in the future." Despite her rebuke, Signum understood why he hadn't thought to ask. When you knew someone for well over a decade, it stood to reason you might begin referring to them in a certain way without their permission. Such were the bonds between people.

Yuuno nodded. "I'll be more careful in the future." He coughed to clear his throat. "I actually wanted to go over a few things with you while we eat, if it's alright." There were indeed a great many things he wished to speak with the Knight of the Sword about. However a fair number of them were not relevant to the situation at hand. "Mostly involving what we'll be doing when we reach the ruins."

Signum nodded as she picked up a spoon for her meal. "I do not mind. Rather, I expected you would bring it up sooner than later." She took a spoonful of her meal and blew on the hot soup to cool it. With a tentative sip, she tasted it to check its temperature. Finding it to be acceptable, the Knight finished her spoonful and nodded. "This is quite good."

"Thanks," he replied simply whilst scratching his cheek. Living by himself had meant learning how to cook so as to avoid reliance on takeout and instant meals. Still, it wasn't much in his opinion. Not compared to Hayate's legendary fare. Yuuno shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be debating his culinary capabilities.

After swallowing another mouthful of his soup, Yuuno set his spoon down and began to explain. "The ruins are approximately two-hundred meters below the surface. We'll be taking an ATV down the first time to get exact coordinates and set up some safety measures. We could easily teleport in, but I don't want to run the risk of the magic destabilizing anything. The initial team didn't leave us anything usable, unfortunately."

"You mentioned they were looking for suitable areas for colonization," interjected Signum briefly.

He nods. "Scans detected significant metal deposits below the surface and when they went to further investigate, they found the temple. They weren't exactly amused when they found out, to be honest." There was an amused look on Yuuno's face. The team leader had been rather vocal in his bemoaning about his hopes being dashed.

He continued with the occasional pause to eat his dinner. "When we get down there, we'll be mapping out the site and looking for a viable entry into the temple. The entry shouldn't take too long; it's the cartography which will probably take most of our time. Since this is a virgin site, there's likely going to be defenses or other hazards which are usually set off by raiders or previous explorers." There was affection in his voice as he spoke.

Signum shifted in her seat as the blonde continued to explain. The manner in which Yuuno was speaking made her all the more curious to see what he was like in the throes of his passion rather than exploring her own. She was also a little curious as to what this temple contained. History was not one of her interests, but the proximity to a relic of her past had sparked an interest.

Heedless of the pinkette's musings, Yuuno continued on. His voice becoming more and more enthused as the words left his mouth. "Once the mapping is done, we'll start looking for artifacts, relics, really anything to tell us what manner of place it was; who used it; why. Something like this is bound to contain invaluable information."

There was a nod of agreement from Signum as she processed what she had been told. While sounding simple in explanation, she did not entertain the possibility of it being so in reality. She raised an eyebrow as Yuuno began to ramble about the possibilities of what they might find. Eventually, she interrupted his musings, "Scry-Yuuno, you are doing it again."

A sheepish look crossed his features and he gave a chuckle of embarrassment, "Aha... Sorry. I'll try to tone it down."

"Do not worry." Signum smiled with amusement. "Simply try to keep your head about you when we are underground. Our roles of master and novice are reversed after all."

Yuuno scratched his cheek as he replied, "This is true."

"Still..." The Knight trailed off, an odd look in her crystal eyes. "It is good to see you so passionate about your work." He was quite passionate about other things as well, a corner of her mind commented. Signum roughly shoved the voice aside. It was then another thought occurred to her. "You made mention of needing sleeping bags. If we have a base of operations such as this, why would we need them?"

The blonde blinked before remembering. It was common sense to him, but not so to one with no experience in this field. "They're good to have on hand when you're not up to teleporting back to base, which happens far more often than you'd think. Plus, sometimes you end up running out of places to store things and have to sleep outside."

Signum raised an eyebrow. "I can understand the former, but the latter? You have had a lack of storage even with accommodations such as these and the multitude of crates outside?" She received an embarrassed look from Yuuno in reply. She could have sworn she had heard him mumble a 'maybe?' as well. This would prove to be an interesting venture to say the least.

As Yuuno began cleaning up after dinner, Signum made a short trip to the restroom to wash up. She may not have taken notice prior to her visitation of the facilities, but she did notice afterwards. She called out to Yuuno in a flat tone which lacked any amusement, and without taking her eyes away from the sight, "Scrya, I would very much appreciate an explanation." Her shift in mood had led her back to her original form of addressing him.

He came as requested. "What's wro…ng...?" The blonde's question trailed off as he took in the scene which seemed to be so affronting to the Blazing General. There, as though mocking him, were the sleeping arrangements provided. A single, standardized TSAB-issue bed for two. Sterile white sheets atop a relatively thin mattress and headed by a pair of matching pillows.

They stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments before Yuuno shattered it. "I'll be getting more use out of my sleeping bag than I thought..." He glanced over to Signum with an apologetic look and an uncomfortable tone in his voice. "Sorry about this, I thought we'd each have a bed to ourselves."

"It is not your fault. I was simply... surprised." Signum's admission held the same tone as Yuuno's. Though she was appreciative of his decision to grant her the bed, such an arrangement would not be fair to the man. She was the one who had tagged along on his expedition, after all. "I would not be opposed to taking turns. You may have the bed one night and I the next. Would that be acceptable?"

"Are you certain?" Yuuno confirmed. He honestly didn't mind using the sleeping bag the entire time. He'd done it numerous times before, but he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity to have a real bed to sleep in, even if it was only every other night.

Signum shook her head. "I would not have offered otherwise." She smirked at her roommate for the days to come. "Now, how would you like to decide which of us will sleep in it tonight?" There was an undertone to her voice which made the blonde swallow as though the room had become a slight more warm than he would have liked. She may have accepted his reasoning behind not having any of their usual matches when requesting permission to join him, but there had been no mention of a simple spar.

"...What did you have in mind?" His words were laced with anticipation and hesitation. There was but one thing which came to mind with the voice Signum used: battle. But why? They were here for an archeological dig of such rarity as never experienced before, not for a slugging match which would leave them... Yuuno cast aside such hedonistic thoughts before they could devolve any further.

The Knight's eyes danced with fire. "A sparring match. No magic, no weapons. Merely our bare hands until one of us submits."

"Oh." Realization filled his mind. A sparring match. He could manage such a thing, though part of him lamented at the lack of a chance to entwine himself in proper battle with the stunning woman as he had done in previous bouts. "That would work. No more than five minutes though. I don't want either of us to be too exhausted for tomorrow."

Signum nodded. "Five minutes should be plenty." She would take what she could get, and she would savor it.

-Scene Break-

The morning after was a bustle of activity for Yuuno Scrya after he crawled out of his sleeping bag. He could scarcely wait a moment longer to venture into the depths and lay his hands on the untouched ruin. His exuberant state led him to be ready far more quickly than one might expect a person to be capable of. Signum's early morning demeanor was hardly a hindrance either. With their supplies loaded into the ATV and hungering bellies sated with a quick breakfast, the pair began making the journey beneath the surface.

It was a rather uneventful, yet slow, drive. Two hundred meters below the surface did not necessarily mean in a straight, comfortable line. What did not help was the rather rough terrain they had to traverse at times. At least the light provided by their lamps was sufficient enough to make it seem as though daylight reached inside the cavern. Conversation was relatively minimal, mostly consisting of Yuuno pointing out and explaining various geological features to a curious Signum or Signum commenting about his performance on their brief sparring match the night prior.

He couldn't help but notice she seemed much more well-rested than he did. Was the bed really so comfortable?

"We're almost there..." Yuuno commented when the surroundings began to change. The fragments of long destroyed buildings began to dot the subterranean landscape. A pillar here, a collapsed wall there, fragmented and worn stone off to the corner. The metallic components of the structures had survived the ravages of time rather well. While time was indeed a harsh mistress, she was far more merciful than the hands of man.

"You say this is an untouched ruin... then all of this is from the passage of time?" Signum's eyes scanned the landscape as yet more and more of broken structures came into view. It was... quite the amazing sight.

A nod of confirmation. "In some cases, even a few hundred years is more than enough to do far worse. That these ruins are in as good condition as they are after thousands and underground, no less... It's practically a miracle."

"Even more so it has been untouched by human hands in all that time, correct?" A part of Signum's mind began to realize just how significant a discovery this was. And to an archaeologist... her companion's zeal was all the more understandable.

"Even once in a lifetime is too often compared to this." Yuuno's eyes shone with anticipation. Signum would swear they glowed when the sight of the ruins came into view.

Illuminated by the lamps of their vehicle, the decaying structure was still mostly intact. Rather, as intact as a thousands of years-old building crafted of stone and metal could be. It was rather massive at first glance, with some sections having been crushed or devoured by the cavern and the inevitable seismic activity of the planet. As they drew ever closer, yet more detail could be made out. Faint smatterings of color adorned the walls while worn down elevations on the surface began to stick out, likely preserved as well as it was by some manner of lingering spellwork.

The ATV came to a slow stop a few meters from the ruin and both its riders disembarked. Signum grasped two of the lamps while Yuuno help up his hands, a myriad of green hued magical screens appearing before him.

As information scrolled by his eyes, a few things began to stand out from his scans. "Hmm... This is strange. Fortunate, but strange..."

"What is?" queried Signum as she looked over one of the nearby walls, the faded and damaged markings barely legible. Even if she could read, write, and speak in the Ancient Belkan language, these marking were so far gone no amount of talent would grant her their meanings.

"There's very little I can detect which would cause problems with transport. Though I'm honestly surprised there's so little magical residue here. A temple should be giving off a much stronger signature, especially if it were sealed up." A frown crossed Yuuno's features as he attempted to discern the meaning behind such a revelation. There were a few possible reasons, one being this site wasn't as untouched as he'd been led to believe. Another was the possibility of something far more advanced evading his preliminary scans, "Or maybe..."

"Perhaps this is not a temple at all," voiced the Knight, her opinion meshing with Yuuno's thoughts perfectly.

The blonde nodded. "That's looking like a strong possibility, but we won't know for certain until we get inside and start mapping the place out." He looked up at Signum, who was still carefully examining the walls before her. It was plain to him her powers of observation were lending themselves well to their task. It brought a smile to his face. "Have you found anything?"

Aiming one of the two lamps towards a far more intact wall section, the distinct outline of some manner of entrance could be seen under Signum's light. "An entrance, it seems. Should we enter here or look elsewhere?" She handed the second lamp to the approaching Yuuno, who took it with a word of thanks.

"This would be good, actually." He turned a grin to Signum, "Good find." The entrance she had found was partially collapsed by a fallen chunk of stone, but still sturdy and wide enough to allow access with minimal effort. He took a deep breath as he prepared to set foot inside a structure which none had entered in thousands of years.

Signum found the sight of Yuuno's nerves rather amusing. In the past, she would have prodded him on. Considering the importance and rarity of the find, however, she would let him have his moment. He had indulged her passion, so it was only fair she do the same for him. She could not help but feel a twinge of anticipation at stepping into the unknown. It was a far cry from the thrill of battle, but it was hardly unpleasant either.

"Here goes..." Yuuno whispered.

He took a single footstep into the ruin. It resounded like a thunderclap, filling his body with a rush of adrenaline he'd not felt since he last exchanged blows with Signum.

Beyond the entrance, now illuminated by the lamplight, lay a long hallway. It was decrepit and decaying, yet still serviceable. Branching corridors could be seen and what appeared to be some manner of fixtures adorned the ceiling in some places. Perhaps a form of lighting? More and more thoughts began to spiral about Yuuno's mind as he stood in the hallway. What manner of place was this? It certainly did not seem to be a temple. At least, not one of any design he'd ever seen or read about. Perhaps this was the remains of a military complex or housing? At the very least, there were no indications of any religious practices thus far.

A tap on his shoulder brought him back to the present with a jump. The blonde whirled about to see Signum standing behind him with a raised eyebrow.

"I wouldn't think it to be wise to get lost in your thoughts here," quipped Signum with a somewhat amused tone.

Shaking his head, the blonde chuckled as he turned back to the hallway. "It wouldn't. Sorry about that." He raised the lamp as a soft green magical array sprung to life in front of him, slowly filling in details about their immediate surroundings. Yuuno glanced back to the swordswoman and grinned. "Shall we?"

Signum nodded and the two began carefully making their way through the ruins.

It did not take long for either to notice there was not a single trap or man-made hazard to be found. In fact, it was rather difficult to maintain the thought there were any present elsewhere either. Not to mention there hadn't been a single hint of Lost Logia thus far. No surges of magical power or strange concentrations of mana. Not even a remotely suspicious wall or bleached bone. It was beginning to make the archaeologist more than a little jumpy.

Even Signum was more than a little wary. She'd been expecting more trouble than they'd found. Rather, she'd been expecting some form of trouble. Not empty hallways and decaying down rooms of comparable occupancy.

Only the sound of their breathing and the occasional crunch of their boots against the floor broke the total silence of their dark surroundings.

"Yuuno." Signum's deep, feminine tone shattered the silence. Even she was unnerved by the absolute lack of sound or sign of inhabitance. Unconsciously, she reached for Laevatein's sealed form around her neck.

"Y-Yes?" Yuuno was a little startled, admittedly. He didn't like this, not one bit. It felt too unnatural.

"This is... not normal, is it?" It was a statement, not a question. She may be the novice, but even a novice could tell this was unexpected.

Shaking his head, the blonde continued his scanning. "No… It's really not... If someone had come here beforehand, we'd have seen signs of it. And there's absolutely no sign of former habitation. It's like... someone just built this place and that was it."

Just as Signum was about to comment, something caught her eye in the distance. "Perhaps not." She tapped Yuuno's shoulder and gestured towards where her lamp was aimed. "Look over there."

Casting his eyes where directed, Yuuno took in the sight of the anomaly. Indeed, breaking the near perpetual and grim monotony of bland hallways, empty rooms, and wrecked walls, was what appeared to be a... book? A book laying just beyond another doorframe. Had they finally found something? "That's..." His voice was cautious, curious, and anxious. A smile broke out on his face. "It... looks like a book. Lets have a look..."

Their footsteps hastened as they drew closer to the item. The closer they came, the more of the ruins became visible. Bland and unadorned gave way to what looked like picture frames and message boards. Though worn and damaged by time, they were still recognizable as such. Reflective surfaces covered in dust. Some had even fallen to the ground under the weight of it and broken.

As he kneeled down next to the fallen tome, his attention was drawn into the room the doorframe led to. Much had fallen into disrepair, but there were... shelves. Shelves, desks, counters, and bookcases... One such bookcase, still laden with much of its bounty, had fallen to the ground near the doorway. Its contents were spilled out across the floor and left to gather dust.

So much knowledge... It threatened to drive Yuuno into hysterics.

Barely managing to hold himself together, Yuuno carefully leaned over to the nearest book and examined it closely. The layer of dirt atop it was gingerly blown aside and a mostly intact cover was revealed to him. His eyes widened in abject shock as he slowly deciphered the indentations pressed into the hard surface. "Signum... You know Ancient Belkan, right? Please tell me what this says, so I know I'm not hallucinating..."

Signum obliged her companion, though as she did so, her own voice became tinged with shock. "Anthology of... Literature..." She turned her crystal blue eyes to Yuuno, astonishment on her face and in her voice. "This is-!"

Yuuno nodded hesitantly as he crept over to more of the fallen tomes, deciphering their covers with more and more awe creeping into his voice, "'Arithmetic'… 'A History of the... Empire'… 'Belkan Linguistics'..." He swallowed and looked over to Signum. "Textbooks... This place was a school. An Ancient Belkan School."


	7. Learning

Well, here is chapter 7 at long last. Things get a little steamy here, so be warned. I've had to up the rating to 'M' because of it.

Still, I do hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter and all the development and revelations that come with it. As always, comments and criticisms are welcome and are a great help to my work.

Again, many thanks to KnightOfCerberus for doing the beta work for this chapter.

- Chapter Start -

"A... school?" Signum could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Yet, everything in front of her was merely more evidence to prove it. The books. The shelves. The room. The design of the building. All of it was reminiscent of the school buildings Hayate had walked the halls of. Granted, this one had its own obvious differences, but the basic concept appeared to be the same.

Yuuno nodded and stood from his kneeling position before the fallen texts. "I don't know what level, but this was definitely one. This is..." A wide grin spread across his lips as he glanced to Signum, his voice filled with wonder and joy. "This is better than any temple." With careful footsteps, he entered the classroom and walked the aisles between dust covered desks. "Do you understand the significance of this discovery, Signum?"

She was silent for a time as she pondered the possibilities, her expression contemplative. Truthfully, the significance was escaping her, though the fiery gleam in Yuuno's eyes bade her to look deeper within herself for an answer. She could not simply say no and leave it there, expecting to be told the correct response.

After a few moments of silence, it seemed as though a light came on, a light which illuminated a comparable set of experiences. "This is the closest you will get to... a firsthand account." Her eyes widened as the truth began to sink in. "There is no other source of information about Ancient Belka as pure as this." There was the brief thought of what herself and the other Wolkenritter could have contributed to Yuuno's archaeological passions had they been in possession of their memories, but it was dismissed quickly. There was no use dwelling on such things.

"Right in one." Yuuno smiled and spread his arms as though he were putting on a show. He looked as if he were doing everything in his power to not burst out laughing. "No matter how accurate our hypotheses and interpretations are, they're always going to be distorted to some degree. The more information collected, the closer we get to obtaining an accurate account of the past. This site... there's never been anything like it. Sure, we've recovered plenty of historical artifacts, but a school? A school with intact learning materials no less? I'd be more likely to convince Nanoha to give up flying and show some restraint than find another site like this."

Signum merely stood by the fallen bookcase and soaked in Yuuno's words. She'd underestimated him. Again. It was no mere academic interest or hobby which drove him in his pursuits of the past. It was a passion the likes of which she knew all too well. An overpowering and greedy desire to know and experience all there was about a subject until there was nothing left.

It was so very much like her lust for combat; an addiction which would never be satiated and demanded everything it could from her.

And yet, the fire she saw in his eyes as he spoke was one she'd seen and felt so very recently. It was the same searing flame which she'd ignited in battle and had desired to see ever more of, a flame which had come to burn her in ways which brought no pain. Truly, she had finally come to realize Yuuno Scrya was a passionate man. One who pursued what he held such a personal interest in with all the fervor of a greedy dragon.

However her companion's mention of Takamachi gave her pause. It reminded her of the talk she'd had with the brunette after her excursions with Yuuno had been discovered. Signum would hesitate to call it a discussion, for it was more a series of reprimands and a warning which had eventually led her to a number of grim realizations.

Yet as she followed the blonde man's instructions for examining the insides of the numerous shelved cabinets, she could not help but wonder about Takamchi's relationship with Yuuno. Just how well did the Ace of Aces know the man she claimed to care for so deeply? It had taken Takamachi a great deal of time to finally learn of Yuuno's awakened battle-lust. What's more, Yuuno did not seem to show or admit any knowledge of such a meeting or intervention.

It was becoming... troubling.

She must have gotten lost in her thoughts as it took a moment for her to realize Yuuno had called her name while she removed the contents of a cabinet. He was in the process of sealing up a small mountain of books for safe transport back to the surface. "Pardon, I was distracted." An uncharacteristic notion, to be certain, but the weight on her mind had grown rapidly in short order. "What did you need?"

Yuuno shook his head as he manipulated the spellwork. "You looked like you zoned out there for a bit. Are you feeling alright?" Signum certainly looked to be fine. Covered in dust and sweat from working, but otherwise fine.

"I am. There has been... much on my mind as of late." She walked over to where he was working and carefully set down the metal boxes she'd found.

His eyes gleamed at the sight of the boxes, but he turned his gaze back to Signum. "Would you like to talk about it? I might not be able to offer much advice, but it might help to get it off your chest at least." Yuuno briefly looked away to begin sealing up another batch of the ancient artifacts.

Signum paused as she looked long and hard at Yuuno. They were... hardly strangers, friends at the very minimum, but were they more than friends? Friends did not do battle as they did, did not enjoy it as they did, and her concerns did involve him. They involved him quite a bit, as a matter of fact. Still, she hesitated. "...I do not wish to take away from your discovery, though if you are willing to listen then I will tell you."

Yuuno simply nodded and slowed his work a bit.

She drew in a breath. "Some time before I came to you to request permission to join you, I had a ...conversation with Takamchi. It was not long after our battle at the upper ranked training grounds."

He had to fight back a blush at the memory of the battle in question. It had been one of their most heated exchanges. The mention of Nanoha made it a bit easier to control himself. "With... Nanoha?" Yuuno looked rather confused, and more than a little concerned. The timing put it rather close to the unfortunate ...lesson Signum had given Fate. "Did it have to do with Fate?"

"Yes and no. While she was quite irate, and understandably so, Fate was not the main topic at hand." Her strong gaze met his. "It primarily involved you and me, more specifically our... training." She could not call it such without pause, for it had come to resemble training less and less with each subsequent session.

The mention of such a topic led Yuuno to narrow his eyes slightly. What did Nanoha have to discuss with Signum involving their arrangement, enough to supersede mention of Fate? "I can honestly say I'm surprised. I thought it would be about, well, what happened with Fate. What did she say?"

Yuuno may not have liked what happened to his blonde friend, but he had come to terms with it and Signum knew this as well.

Signum sat down on the floor across from Yuuno, moving aside a pile of sealed artifacts so he could begin working on another. "She claimed I was using you to sate my own hunger for combat, distorting you into someone else in the process. Someone other than the kind man she knows you to be." There was far more involved in the claim, but she was not about to divulge those bits of information. They were of a more... personal nature to her.

"She... what?" Nanoha had made such a claim? It sounded... preposterous, really, but Signum was not the sort of woman to make such fabrications. Why would Nanoha say something so outrageous? "I'm going to assume she caught wind of what we've been doing, then?"

"It seems Takamachi came upon one of our sessions and recorded it. She was quite displeased with the situation." 'Displeased' was something of an understatement. Signum took a deep breath. "She demanded I find a way to remedy the situation before you were harmed by it."

"'Remedy the situation'?" A look of mild irritation and befuddlement crossed his features. He treasured Nanoha, he really did. She was his first friend and they had been through a great deal together. She was always looking out for everyone, sometimes to excess in some peoples' eyes. It would appear his sessions with Signum were of great enough concern to Nanoha as to warrant her idea of an intervention. "Does she think we can't handle ourselves?"

The sealing had ceased as Yuuno held Signum's gaze.

"No, I believe she thinks I will be unable to handle myself at the pace we had set. Takamachi seems to fear losing you a great deal." The 'as do I' remained unsaid. It would remain as such until she could truly discern what such a statement meant to her. "I wish to hear your thoughts about this."

Yuuno closed his eyes and let out a breath. Nanoha's protective streak was tall as a mountain and long as an ocean was wide. Even if she acted for the wellbeing of others, there were a few times when she could go a bit too far. It just went to show how much she loved those around her. He would have to speak with his friend when they returned to Mid-Childa in order clear up any misunderstandings and give Nanoha his side of the story. He looked up to Signum's questioning gaze. "I don't think there's a need for anything drastic. We both realized things were getting a little… heated, before we came here."

The recollection of the sight of a panting Signum, clad in sweat and blood while lacking about as much decency in apparel as he after brutal exchanges, brought heat to his cheeks. Heat he was forced to allow the presence of.

"I'll talk with Nanoha when we get back. We haven't done anything wrong, but I guess we haven't been fair with everyone either. I've found something here, something I don't want to give up. I need to let her know that."

He did not say what it was he had found, nor would he. Not yet.

The swelling in her heart was ignored for a stern but... warm expression. "As you wish, Yuuno." Silence reigned for a short time before she spoke again. "Perhaps we had best finish here and return to camp for the day?"

"Sounds good." Yuuno granted her a kind smile as they set back to work.

-Scene Break-

When the pair had returned to their base camp, a quick dinner had been consumed courtesy of Signum's attempts at cooking. While she wasn't the best cook, certainly not on the level of Hayate, Yuuno was certainly in no state to be handling something like food. She'd rather not suffer food poisoning. At home would be bad enough. Here, it would be a nightmare.

The reason for Yuuno's current state of half-present euphoria lay in the veritable pile of treasures they had managed to bring back with them from their first foray into the ruins of the Ancient Belkan school. Said treasures lay stacked carefully in one corner of the domicile. Each one of the artifacts emanated a soft green glow, sealed up to prevent accidental damage to them.

Now they stood before the trinkets, treasures, and artifacts. Signum gazed at them curiously, and Yuuno was doing the same with a calculating eye. He seemed to be contemplating something of great importance.

Signum was about to pose a query as to their next course of action when Yuuno finally spoke. "I think I've got it figured out." She tilted her head in a questioning expression as they turned to face one another. "Signum, I'd like you to handle translating these books." He gestured to the stack of textbooks to his side.

"Only translation?" she questioned. It seemed a rather... mundane task to her. Perhaps something better left to a translation program. However, she was also the novice here.

Yuuno nodded and gave her a reassuring look. "It might seem boring, and it probably will be at first, but it's a good first step. Plus, your fluency in Ancient Belkan puts mine to shame, honestly." He'd start her out small and let her work on some of the more delicate artifacts when he was certain she could handle them. Signum really was far more adept at the language than he was, anyway.

The pinkette nodded in understanding before crossing her arms and placing one hand upon her chin. "You would not happen to have a spell which would help prevent further damage to the tomes?" She'd rather not touch the books with her bare hands and risk further damaging them. Something told her the loss of such irreplaceable information would not be good for Yuuno's health.

"I do, actually. I was planning on showing it to you before dinner, but... I was a little distracted." He scratched his cheek in slight embarrassment. It seemed to be a habit of his.

"Indeed you were." Signum gave a small grin. "I could have served you moss and mud and you probably wouldn't have noticed."

Yuuno laughed somewhat lamely. "Ah... hahaha... Sorry about that. Dinner was really good though. Thank you for cooking." It really was a good dinner, and he felt a little ashamed at having not thanked Signum for her efforts before now.

She shook her head. "Simply try to keep your head about you next time. Or I really will feed you that. Now... about this spell?"

He chuckled. "I'll do my best." He raised his hands and a wide spell array erupted from his palms. It was not really a complex equation, but it would look rather unusual to any not familiar to spells used in archaeological work. "This will let you interact with the books without directly touching them or interfering with the seal."

"That seems rather convenient." Surprisingly so. She wasn't expecting such a simple answer. Nor a relatively simple spell to match it. As she set about memorizing it, she posed a question. "Does it have any other uses outside of archaeology?

"It's really only useful with the sealing spell. There's plenty of other, better, spells to gain a similar effect in other fields, but for dealing with such delicate things like ancient artifacts, this is one of the best." He'd been using and updating it since he was a young boy. There was a mild apprehension at the thought of finally replacing it, but he'd yet to find a suitable substitute.

"I see." With the spell memorized, Signum set about casting it to ensure all had gone well. Having never done so before, her actions were cautious and aimed away from the pile of artifacts. When her hands began glowing a brilliant pink, she raised an eyebrow. This did not seem quite right. "Yuuno, I believe I have made an error..." Her voice seemed a little put off at the notion.

With a mildly amused smile on his face, Yuuno took Signum's hands into his own and gazed at them. He nodded not a few moments later. "You put too much power into this part of the equation. It's causing a stack overflow with the spell."

It took only a few moments for Signum to make the corrections and a mild pinkish aura now encased her hands. Though the fact Yuuno was still holding them brought a shade of pink to her cheeks as well. She glanced upwards and saw a similar color on his as well.

"You're a fast learner, Signum." Yuuno released her hands and grinned, fighting off the color on his face. "Let's get to work."

Signum's own grin met his. "I am Wolkenritter." She gave a nod of thanks as Yuuno handed her a stack of tomes and further instruction on how he'd like her to translate the books.

Verbatim would not do. She needed to be accurate in terms of context. Something a program couldn't accurately do as well as a human mind was capable of, hence why most active translation spells interfaced with the brain when functioning. In addition, speech was far easier to translate on the fly compared to the written word.

Regardless, she had a task to accomplish, and she would do so.

Perhaps two or three hours later, Signum was beginning to feel the onset of weariness. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she glanced over to the other side of the room where Yuuno worked stoically. He truly did love such work.

She'd learned far more about Ancient Belka in the past few hours than she'd ever have thought possible, and she'd only touched on a few of the subjects covered in the textbooks in front of her.

While it was common knowledge the Belkan Empire's history was a long one, what she'd found was beyond such a descriptor. The Empire's history stretched back even further than she had thought, seemingly covering a span of several millenium. Some of the events detailed in the textbooks told of a time when the long gone empire was not even large enough to hold a continent-sized landmass on its originating planet, much less entire systems and dimensions. Such a time extended some millennia and a half before they were even able to reach the stars.

Signum found it rather difficult to marry the image of a relatively small, medieval kingdom being the predecessor to one of the mightiest empires in the knowing universe. Yet, everything had a beginning. Perhaps even the mythical Al Hazard, upon which Belka had made its leap into the universe, had such a beginning?

And there was so much more. The Empire described to her was devoted to the notion of a strong empire, one which held dominance over all others. A strong empire built upon strong people. Such devotion came to influence every aspect of their military, government, and daily lives. Even friendships, marriages, and simple civil liberties were based upon this law. And those who were not strong were made strong.

The small kingdom had spread its borders rapidly, with little pausing, until it had conquered the entire world. But it was not until Belka took to the stars and came upon the ruins of Al Hazard, a civilization stronger than their own, that they truly become the mighty Empire which would leave its mark on the universe.

They took what was strong of other cultures and added it to their own might. They grew and adapted. If an enemy's sword was stronger than their own, they took it and learned from it. Studied it and added its might to their own armies. Each victory added the strength of the defeated to their own massive, constantly growing, power. Technology. Ideas. People. Nothing was ignored merely because it was not of Belkan origin.

The Cradle was even written about in the texts. The massive and immensely powerful ship was one of many, a single vessel in an armada of ships-of-the-line. It was one of the Empire's most costly and powerful warships, but was regaled by impassioned description as a worthy cost the people were most willing to pay. At the time of this book's printing, not a single Cradle-class craft had fallen in battle.

It painted the Scaglietti Incident in a whole other light. They had nearly lost everything to a single ship. An entire fleet was almost unreal. Had she not read it for herself, Signum would have considered such a thought to be madness.

And the weapons wielded. They were terrifying. She knew Belka permitted and encouraged the use of mass-based weaponry alongside the magical power of its knights. Some of the arms mentioned here gave even her pause. Rifles capable of striking down men from miles away. Cannons and explosives which could eradicate cities, countries, continents.

Even the horrific failures and losses chronicled in their history were used as stepping stones and learning blocks from which to grow ever more powerful. The catastrophic War of Heimdal. The bloody battles of Sturm Palast and Brennenden Himmel. She read of the hundreds of thousands and millions who perished in these events. She read how the Empire overcame these failures and became mightier than ever as they stormed across the cosmos like unrestrained lightning.

As she found herself further immersing her intellectual self into the past, she was unaware of the brief smile sent her way by the room's sole other occupant.

-Scene Break-

Over the course of the expedition, the swordswoman and the archaeologist fell into an odd sort of pattern. Such was bound to happen when people lived together after all. In addition, it made for a rather interesting round of discoveries for both individuals.

It would seem Yuuno was not the sort of person to prefer pajamas when he slept. The sight of him clad in nothing more than boxers and a tank-top had caused Signum's cheeks to color slightly, though she cited the warmth of their domicile as the cause. He was also not much of a coherent morning person. Certainly, he woke not long after she did, however he behaved much like the living dead in terms of his mental facilities. It reminded her of Hayate.

At the very least, he didn't need to drown himself in coffee to get started in the morning. A nice hot shower or a splash of cold water on the face seemed to do the trick more often than not.

On the topic of showers, Yuuno had quickly come to discover Signum much preferred the large bath back home to the relatively small shower their domicile provided. It wasn't much, but he could sense a slight feeling of irritation from the pink-haired woman whenever she stepped out of the bathroom after taking a shower. He supposed the Yagami family bath would spoil anyone in short order.

Granted, such thoughts were furthest from his mind whenever she appeared from the room with a cloud of steam behind her. Combined with the high humidity of the planet and the often sweltering heat, maintaining eye contact with Signum had become an exercise in willpower as he fought to avoid taking in the sight of her radiant form.

Each moment they spent together on the expedition began to reveal little nuances about one another's preferences and personalities they'd not yet seen in the other or, at least, had only caught a glimpse of prior. Signum's enjoyment of reading whenever given the chance. How she preferred to wear long socks and seemed to only have the one yellow hair ribbon. Yuuno was also granted the sight of a Signum with far too much energy. Translating Ancient Belkan did not burn the usual masses of energy combat did.

He'd granted her request when she'd asked to take a break and go through a few sword forms. Apparently a few forms took a few hours to complete and resulted in a very sweaty, red-faced Signum with a satisfied look on her face. This too, had been a great ordeal in keeping his head about himself.

Signum had found living with Yuuno to be quite an eye opening experience as well. The man often left notes lying about in a chaotic manner she could not begin to describe. Not without threatening her sanity at the very least. His sense of time seemed to be rather warped as well, as she'd caught him still awake at abominable hours twice thus far. The second time had even required her to bodily throw him into his sleeping bag after he'd snuck out to do more work.

Much to her surprise, this apparent lack of sleep did not seem to bother him in the least. How Yuuno had managed to maintain such energy had baffled her. Though she did reason her body was simply not as used to this type of work as his was. Warfare was a different sort of beast, after all.

However this habit of his was also something which had begun to grate on her nerves. It was hardly the only part about living with him which was affecting her, but it was certainly one of the more prominent at the moment. Particularly considering the hour.

It was the sixth day of the expedition when Signum began to truly understand the depths of Yuuno's devotion to his work. Rather, the effect such depths were having on him.

The first few days had been about as she had expected given her first foray in the realm of archaeology. More of the same bouts of discovery followed by analysis. Yuuno still had her working on the less delicate task of translation while he worked on the artifacts requiring a far more experienced touch. The exploration had begun to occur with less frequency once the site had been completely mapped out and much of their time had been spent in further research.

It was this research which had been occupying more and more of Yuuno's mind as time went on. She had already warned him about needing to get more sleep else he would collapse or otherwise leave himself in a state of poor health. The human body needed rest and she had been rather tolerant of his habits thus far. However at the moment, he was reaching the end of her good graces.

Not helping Signum's mood was the fact the environmental systems seemed to have decided to take a break from functioning at peak performance earlier in the day. Said malfunction had kept both her and Yuuno from properly bathing owing to a lack of water. She was hot, sweaty, and she could hear the sounds of her companion still working through the closed door. Wide awake and frustrated, there was only one outlet for her to make use of.

She was ready to storm out and instigate a repeat of the sleeping bag incident when the sounds stopped. Was he going to finally get some sleep? The sound of the bedroom door slowly opening dashed her hopes. The faint glow of Yuuno's small reading light was the only illumination in the room. It seemed he was trying to not wake her as he sought something.

When he came within arms-reach, the swordswoman sat up and settled a flat look on the blonde. "Yuuno." Signum was rather glad she could see him jump in surprise and drop the light, deactivating it. Her eyes had adjusted to the darkness some time ago. "Kindly explain why you are still awake."

Yuuno swallowed nervously. The muggy air did not help him regain his senses from the shock. "Well... I, ah..." His eyes slowly began to focus as the darkness regressed at a crawl. Signum's gaze did not leave him as he fumbled. "I was really close to finishing off my analysis of—" He was cut off as a hand reached out and grabbed his arm.

"And if I remember correctly, that is what you said last time." She was in no mood for games as she pulled him closer. "Now, will you go to sleep?"

The blonde began trying to move away, forcing her to grab his other arm with her other hand in response. "I'll get some sleep in a bit, so please, Signum." He could keep going. Just a bit longer was all he wanted. He could rest on the trip home. Just like always.

"No." Signum's tone was non-negotiable as her eyes narrowed. She would make sure he got his rest one way or another. The struggle was brief, if it could even be called as such. Even in such an odd position, she was more than capable of pulling the man into bed and holding him there. "You are going to get some sleep even if I have to hold you here all night. I will not have you finally give out at the worst possible moment."

For Yuuno, held firm against Signum's body, it was a special kind of torture. He could feel her. The heat had forced her into a tank top and shorts, revealing far more of her body to him than he was able to handle at the moment. His own lack of a shirt allowed him to feel every inch of her pressed against him. Toned muscle defining a curvaceous frame. His mind could not help but burn every detail of her into his memory.

Her soft, smooth skin, hot and sweaty.

Ample bust, barely constrained by the thin, white fabric and heaving against him with each breath she took.

Long legs, one of which was tightly locked around his own to further prevent his escape.

His emerald gaze met her crystal blue. She was flushed, breathing deeply from the exertion to pull him into bed. Sweat dripped from her face as her unbound hair remained pasted to her flesh. Her gaze was steely, but fiery. Primal in appearance.

And her lips... Those barely parted pink lips from which heated breath issued past.

Such soft lips...

Yuuno Scrya could not help himself. He wanted her. More than anything in the world, he wanted Signum Yagami.

His lips captured hers, and months, if not years, of restrained up desire flowed forth. She tasted like metal, salt, and cinnamon. It was a taste he wanted to savor and make his. Only his to luxuriate in.

Signum's eyes widened in shock at the sudden advance; she had not been expecting such a movement, and thus were her lips taken. Dominated. Her steely gaze melted and fire consumed her, spreading from her core to every part of her body. He had done it. He had conquered a part of her. And yet, she found herself fighting to regain control.

Her own suppressed wants flowed forth as she began trying to retake what had been wrested from her. Even greater the fire grew as she assailed his own lips. She grasped his cheeks and pulled him against her yet harder. She wanted this. She wanted him. Just as much as he wanted her.

Here was a man who had risen to every challenge she had put before him and had sought to stand against her upon her most treasured field. Yuuno wanted her. He wanted to dominate her. Her, the General of Blazing Fire. But she would not let him take her so easily. She would fight to take him as much as he to take her. The raging inferno which pulsed within her heart demanded no less. Neither did the furnace of her loins.

Yuuno's hands responded to the advancement against his own lips as they sought out other territory to conquer. They moved with all the clumsiness and desperation of the exhausted and impassioned. One hand found itself pulling Signum tightly against him, further pressing their heated bodies against one another as it slid further and further down. Inching ever closer to the seductive curves which lay beyond the small of her back.

Such curves which had drawn his attention so often as of late. He wanted to feel every possible inch of them, memorize them. Make them belong to him and only him. His hand slowly crept past the waistband of Signum's shorts and found perchance on her shapely rear, eliciting a shiver from the woman in his arms. It was soft, firm, and he knew he could have spent forever massaging such supple flesh. Not because it was such a wondrous feeling. But because it was Signum.

His other hand moved beneath the nearly indecent shirt Signum wore, pressing against her back and forcing their bodies ever closer. As their lips and tongues danced and tasted one another, their already minimal clothing began feeling restricting and tight. Yuuno's dextrous fingers began making their way around to the heavy bust which was all but exposed by their fevered actions. A squeeze of the soft mound led Signum to moan deeply into Yuuno's mouth.

A moan which as not the last. A moan which further spurred him on. He would pleasure her as he dominated her. He would make her scream his name in surrender. He would love her as no other was capable of loving. All because she was Signum.

Each motion of Yuuno's hands further stoked the already rampaging fires burning away within Signum. She wanted so much more of him. To feel every nick and scar upon his body. Each sign of battle and badge of combat he had been granted. Both in their passionate exchanges on the field and in his own work. Marks which emboldened her actions and further drove her desires. One hand left Yuuno's cheek and began tracing over each and every wound which had left its mark upon his body. An action which was met with an approving groan from her bedmate.

Even more so when her other hand joined in the exploration of Yuuno's body. Feeling him and memorizing him. His was not the sculpted frame of ancient gods enshrined as statues, but it need not be to her wanting touch.

She would never have anyone. Not unless they were this man. This man who so drove her mad with impassioned thoughts. Thoughts of sin and warfare. She wanted no one else to stoke these fires and meet her in battle in such a sensuous way. She would only ever conquer and be conquered by Yuuno Scrya. This Yuuno Scrya she had come to love.

Her leg, still wrapped around Yuuno's own as a means of further restraining him, tightened and pulled him closer, moving up towards his waist as it did so. It was an action which ground their hips together and further fueled her fires and led her to bemoan the separation between their bodies. Yet she was unable to distract her mind long enough to remove them.

They trailed bites and searing kisses along one another's necks not a moment after breaking the lengthy kiss. Hands danced and grasped oh so willing flesh as their daring wants grew. Both Knight and librarian seeking to conquer the other without mercy. Both wanting to take everything the other had to offer and yet more.

-Scene Break-

It was late in the afternoon at the mostly empty Takamachi-Harlaown household. Caro and Vivio had gone out earlier in the day and wouldn't be back until after dinner. They were planning on having some fun as sisters with their friends. Something the two had been planning to do for some time now.

Erio had commandeered Arf as a subject for a sparring partner. Ever since having seen the vicious battle between Yuuno and Signum, he'd been pouring over tomes about strategy and magical theory. It was often the unfortunate familiar who wound up as the one to test his experiments and new tactics, however when it was Erio who came home as a charred mess more often than not, Fate questioned whether or not Arf was really the unfortunate one in the arrangement.

This left the house occupied only by Fate and Nanoha. While most would consider it a prime opportunity to simply relax and have a nice, quiet evening, most were not privy to the sight of Nanoha Takamachi looking less than content while seated across from her best friend and co-parent. The brunette rarely donned such a conflicted and concerned expression, and Fate had never been on the other side of the table whenever Nanoha did wear it.

Fate had more than a few theories about what the source of Nanoha's worries was. It was her job to speculate and draw conclusions from situations presented to her, after all. However there were too many strings she was missing to get an accurate picture of what was going on. All she had were bits and pieces, some more useful than others.

Quite a few of those bits and pieces pointed to two particular individuals as sources; Yuuno Scrya and Signum Yagami.

Signum's recent bouts of violent and downright strange behavior had caused quite a stir. Setting aside the vicious and nonsensical beating she'd received at the hands of the pink-haired woman some time ago, there were at least three other factors which contributed to Signum's place in her theories.

One was the sudden favor called in to have Hayate shipped off to boot camp. Not only had it come out of nowhere, but it had seemed so out of character for the stern and loyal Knight. Many of Signum's actions as of late had seemed as such. The supposedly heated argument Nanoha had with Signum was another. Neither had said anything about what had been discussed, but it was high on her list of possible reasons. Next was the inordinate amount of time Signum seemed to be spending with Yuuno.

Being fully aware of Nanoha and Yuuno's history, it seemed to be perhaps an even greater source of worry than even her own treatment at Signum's hands.

Fate folded her hands on the table and offered Nanoha a comforting smile. It seemed to relax the woman opposite her a little. Sitting in a tense silence for the past few minutes hadn't seemed to do Nanoha much good. If Nanoha wasn't going to start, then she'd have to get the ball rolling. "You said you had something important to tell me?" Her voice was gentle and soothing.

Nanoha remained silent for a bit longer before nodding. "I do." She was nervous. Not because she was worried about how Fate would react, but rather because she wasn't sure how to begin.

"Does this have to do with what you and Signum talked about?" Fate's voice never wavered in the slightest.

The brunette nodded and steeled herself. "It does. We talked about her recent behavior and how she treated you in your fight. And what she's been doing to Yuuno."

Nanoha's choice of words gave Fate pause. Had her best friend said 'with' rather than 'to', she wouldn't have felt a surge of concern well up within her. 'With' implied Nanoha saw whatever Signum and Yuuno were doing to be of benefit or otherwise approved of it. From the sound of it, however, Signum's actions were definitely neither in Nanoha's eyes. "What has she been doing to Yuuno?"

"She's been manipulating him. Turning him into something to satisfy her own desires. The… the fight. I saw the fight they had right after she hurt you." Nanoha shook her head. "It was wrong. I've never seen those eyes on him before…"

Fate's eyes narrowed. She was getting closer to what was happening. The true nature of things. "What sort of eyes, Nanoha? How was he different?" She was indeed concerned about Yuuno's welfare, but so far there had been no indication of him needing any sort of help.

The brunette gazed into Fate's ruby eyes. "He was wearing the same expression Signum does when she cuts loose. Those eyes… It was like he had become a different person. One perfectly suited to giving Signum what she wants in a fight." Her voice sounded smaller now. "Signum… She said Yuuno was a man who didn't belong stuck behind a desk for the rest of his life. She said he was someone who 'would step up the the greatest of foes and do everything in his power to make them submit to him'. Those were her exact words…"

"Signum said that about Yuuno? But…" Fate trailed off as more bits of the puzzle began sliding into place.

Nanoha wasn't done. "If they were being careful, I wouldn't mind! I'd be happy they'd found a common interest and were enjoying each other's company. But this is… It's just reckless." She looks down as she continues, a slight tremble appearing in her voice. "I don't want him to get hurt like that… He's too important to me. To you. To everyone."

Fate blinked as the picture finally finished gathering in her mind. Now everything made sense. Why Signum had lost herself and gone wild in their match, why Nanoha was so distressed, and why Yuuno was spending so much time with the General. Now she knew the answers.

The blonde beauty cleared her throat and reached out to hold Nanoha's hands. "Nanoha." Her kind, soothing voice paused so her friend could look up into her eyes. "Have you considered the possibility that he wants this? That he wants to throw caution to the wind?"

"I… I have. Signum suggested it as well. It's up to Yuuno whether or not he wants to continue this, but I'm worried he's going to go too far before he can stop and think and we're all going to lose him." Nanoha looked down at where Fate's hands were overlapping her own. "One way or another…"

"We're not going to lose him. We both know he can take care of himself. Yuuno is still the kind and gentle man we know. But…" Fate paused for a moment as she chose her words carefully. "But he's not the boy you fell in love with anymore. He's also not the young man you broke up with either."

Fate recalled all too well the few years Nanoha and Yuuno had spent as a couple. They had done well together. Quite well, actually. It had even reached the point where she was certain if Vivio had been present in their lives, the girl would have been calling Yuuno her father.

Yet, even with all their closeness, the spark had still gone out. They had reached some barrier, some line, they were unable to cross. It had been an amicable separation, and both were still close friends. They had moved on, grown up, and learned from it.

"I know, Fate. I know… I just… Never expected something like this to happen." Yuuno was a central figure in her life. He had brought her into the world of magic. Had been her friend, her lover, and nearly more. This sudden and violent immersion of his into Signum's world had come as a shock, and one she felt she could not leave alone. She cared about her friends far too deeply to do otherwise.

Fate gave a soft smile as she spoke. "I don't think anyone did, really, and if it hadn't been for Signum tossing me about I doubt we'd have seen it for quite a while longer." She recalled the harsh treatment she'd received at the hands of the Blazing General as she spoke. It had been a wakeup call of considerable magnitude.

Not only had the very real possibility of her having become complacent been thrown in her face, but she had also been forced to take a long and hard look inside of herself to see where she stood as an Enforcer. It hadn't taken her long to be cleared for combat again, and she'd opted to see just how true Signum's words were. She had not been pleased at the results. While not nearly so bad as the pinkette had claimed, Fate had still found herself to be lacking and was now taking action to pull herself from the mire Signum saw her to be stuck in.

"I'm still mad at her for doing that to you." Nanoha's attention was temporarily diverted at the mention of what had led to her discovering what Signum and Yuuno had been up to in their free time. It would be a little while longer before she was ready to fully forgive Signum for what she had done to Fate.

Nanoha's reaction was met with a look of acceptance. "I'm still not happy with her about it either, but at least I know now rather than later. And it could have been a lot worse." It really could have. The fact it had not was a great relief to her. Bruises upon her body and ego were a small price to pay for what could have been crippling or lethal injuries.

The brunette gave the blonde a dry look. Fate was too kind at times. Still, it was one of the things she loved about the other woman. "It could have been a lot worse? You were one big bruise when they called me. I thought you were a giant purple potato!"

Fate giggled at the description. Nanoha's tendency to exaggerate rarely failed to bring a smile to her face. "I don't think I was quite that bad. And I'd like to think I didn't look like a potato of all things." It was an amusing image, but not one she'd like to replicate.

Nanoha shook her head with a concerned expression, the brief moment of mirth fading back into the more serious conversation they had become sidetracked from. "If they were only training, I could see why he'd go an extra mile. But this… I just have a hard time understanding it." She really did. Part of her still associated the blonde man with the kind librarian rather than the beast she'd seen squaring off against Signum. It seemed too drastic. It was a side of Yuuno she'd never seen before.

"Have you considered the possibility he loves her?" Fate's suggestion made Nanoha blink in confusion at the sudden suggestion. "And he's continuing to do this because he loves her and wants to understand her more? His violent side may be something he's awakened to in fighting her, and it's something he's alright with, something she finds attractive in him as well?" This combat-driven side of Yuuno explained much of Signum's actions and Nanoha's displeasure.

"There's also the possibility that Signum isn't sure what to do with this attraction. And perhaps it's why she's been acting so odd. She wanted something from me when we fought, something I wasn't able to give her. My own complacency aside, I couldn't give it to her because I wasn't Yuuno." She paused to let her words sink in. From the looks of it, Nanoha seemed to at least be taking her words seriously.

"They… love each other?" She knew Yuuno would one day find love again in the arms of another, and she was certain he knew the same about her. Signum, however, was not someone she imagined would fill his heart. Shamal or Hayate, perhaps. But not the Blazing General. "...I can't say I saw that one coming."

Fate smiled comfortingly. "You know firsthand how love can make people act and just how strange it is." She released her hold on Nanoha's hands and walked around the table to stand behind the brunette. " Look at Subaru and Teana." A giggle escapes her lips. "They're still trying to figure out how Subaru modified her Wing Road like that."

The exuberant Nakajima had somehow modified the spell into a banner proclaiming her love for Teana. Nanoha laughed at the memory of the event before sobering with a smile. "I'm just worried about him, but I guess I might be going a bit too far this time." She leaned back against Fate and smiled. "I owe him an apology. But he also owes me an explanation."

"An explanation?" Fate was rather curious as to what sort of explanation Nanoha would want out of Yuuno. She had an idea of what would be demanded, but the brunette she was embracing had a tendency for nonstandard.

Craning her neck to look into Fate's ruby gaze, a feat made rather difficult owing to their positions and the blonde's assets, Nanoha grins. "Aside from telling me why he kept it a secret, I want to know exactly what he finds attractive about Signum."

The blonde blinked in confusion. "…Pardon?"

"How else am I going to tease him about it? Nyahahaha~!"


	8. Setting the Stage

Sorry about the delay everyone. Work has been work and I've really only had time to write during my lunch break. Not to mention things are in a rather messy transition period at the moment. But enough of my excuses, you're here for more important things. Like fanfiction.

I was a little disappointed with the reaction to the expansion on the last chapter. But I suppose a lemon isn't to everyone's tastes. At least it was better than the first one I wrote I hope.

Some good news and some bad news. The bad news... is the unfortunate fact Medieval Belka is dead. I simply cannot continue it with what I have and every outline I've tried has just not worked in the slightest. I will be posting what has been written so those who enjoyed it can continue to do so. Who knows? Maybe it'll inspire someone else to take a stab at something similar.

The good news, is I have an outline (which works, mind you) for something with a little romance and a little horror. I'll be starting work on it when I've finished Swords and Shields.

Well, here you go everyone. We've got maybe one or two more chapters left and I hope to make them good ones for you. Give your thanks to KnightOfCerberus for doing the beta work and making sure I don't do something horrible. Again. As usual, I own nothing and I'd really appreciate comments and criticisms. Good, bad, or what have you, it helps.

Enjoy~

EDIT: After having multiple complaints about the anniversary chapter and also mentions of deletion of this story in its entirety because if its existence, I have removed it. If you wish to read _War and Peace_, the Mediaminer link can be found in my profile. It is a bonus extension of mature content for the scene between Yuuno and Signum in chapter 7 and not required in order to enjoy the rest of the story.

-CHAPTER START-

It was a starry night which Signum beheld this eve as she sat upon the back porch of the Yagami home, her mind awhirl in all manner of thoughts and her belly full of a delicious meal. The trip. Hayate. Yuuno. Her family. Nearly anything one can imagine crossed her mind at some point or another. Some of more import than others.

She was most certainly looking forward to welcoming Hayate home. It would be nice to have the whole family back together again. Not only for the obvious reason of simply missing a member of their dear family, but were they asked to be completely honest, they also missed their Mistress' cooking. True, Vita and herself were more than capable cooks, but they could not hope to compare to the culinary mastery which Hayate possessed.

And apparently, during her trip with Yuuno, Shamal had found her way into the kitchen. Signum shuddered at the tale which had been woven for her when she returned. Waffles. How Shamal had managed to turn the simple crafting of _waffles_ into what had apparently become the catalyst for summoning some manner of eldritch abomination would forever remain beyond her. It was likely for the better. She quite liked her sanity.

Thoughts of her trip away from home brought up more. Thoughts of Yuuno. Thoughts of the time they had spent together in a way she would never have imagined possible a year ago. Thoughts of the night they had shared, engaged in a battle like no other. It still sent a shiver down her spine to recall it so vividly. Not only the acts they had engaged in, but also the raw emotions which had been experienced and exchanged. It was a sensation so wondrous, a part of her had not wanted their trip to end. Yearning only to remain steeped in such feelings and desires.

Unfortunately, life demanded they return. And return they had some weeks ago. Some might have expected a grand proclamation of their love upon their return. A ceremony of such grandiose proportions it would put the crowning of the Kaiser to shame. Well, perhaps the latter was an exaggeration, but such is the imagination of people. Yet they had made no such announcement. Rather, they had kept it to themselves. A secret love they were certain only a select few would be able to discover existed between them.

Were Signum to venture a guess as to who might have ascertained the entire truth of the matter, she would place Shamal at the very top of the list. There was no fooling one's physician. Particularly when it came to the... physical aspects of love's more intimate expressions. In fact, she was fairly certain her entire family knew by now. And by extension, a few friends as well. Yet not a one had said anything. Whether they were waiting until she came out and said it herself, or were waiting for some slip of the tongue, none had made any comment thus far.

Though Takamachi had surreptitiously given her a wink a few days after she had arrived home. There was very little anyone could hide from the White Devil and expect her to not make some manner of expression about it. She supposed a wink was the best she could hope for, really. Signum recalled quite well the spectacle the brunette had made upon learning about Mondial's attraction to Lu Ruche.

Yet aside from their desire to maintain what privacy they could, there was another reason they had kept their lips sealed about the entire ordeal. They needed time. Time to think. Time to understand. Oh, there was little doubt their shared love and attraction was real and burned brightly. But what they had done, the lapse in control to finally give in to their vicious carnal desires, it had changed the status quo. They could never be 'just friends' again. They could ever go back to even those battles of such raw tension not even the sharpest blade could cleave. Even if she did not wish to go back to those days, it still left her with a great deal on her mind.

Her thoughts wandering to such a degree, she barely sensed the approach of their dinner guest for the evening. One specifically invited by her.

Signum turned her head slightly to look up at the woman who was about to sit down: Lindy Harlaown.

Where one might think her's and Yuuno's love was to be the makings of a fairy tale or some manner of 'Happily Ever After' penned to fuel the imaginations of young children, they would be quite mistaken. They did indeed love one another. With a passion and fire enough to sear the world a thousand times over no less. Yet for their wants, there was the unfortunate existence of reality. Both of them had jobs which consumed an immense amount of time at odd hours. To say nothing of their respective responsibilities outside of work. They had not even managed time to go on a proper date. At best, they had managed to exchange smiles most secret in the rare chance they crossed paths at work. The presence of onlookers halted the much desired opportunity to go beyond a mere expression.

There was also a rather significant problem Signum faced which Yuuno did not. Or at the very least, he faced to a far lesser degree than herself. He had experience to draw upon from his relationship with Takamachi. He knew of the mechanics of dating, of romantic evenings, of how a relationship might advance. At the very least it was accurately surmised he did. She... did not.

It was for that reason, she sought out the former Admiral Harlaown. Lindy was a woman who, while bearing the unfortunate descriptor of being a widow, had lived and loved. Fallen in love. Married the man she had fallen so head over heels for. Raised a family. She was truly the one person Signum knew she could turn to for advice. Advice she so desperately needed.

It was Lindy who broke the relatively peaceful silence under the stars, for the inside of the house was hardly peaceful or silent. As Vita's shout of victory threatened to bleed into the level of volume typically reserved for being a public disturbance. "Dinner was delicious. I didn't know Vita was such a skilled cook." A little small talk never hurt to get things started.

Signum nodded, now letting her gaze trace one of the many constellations above. "She enjoys surprising people with that." An amused expression graces her features. "Zafira once joked it was the only thing feminine about her. She took exception to that."

Lindy chuckled at the image of just how the redhead might have taken exception. "I take it he learned his lesson then?"

"After a week of being fed Shamal's cooking, he most certainly did." Signum's amused expression lingered for only a little while longer as the pause in conversation grew.

"Signum, what was it you wished to speak with me about?" Lindy had her suspicions, mostly stemming from brief conversations with Fate and Nanoha, but she was not going to jump to conclusions without all the information she could gather first. At the very least she knew it did not involve the so called battle involving her daughter. The event had long since passed and she had already spoken with the Knight about it. Explanations, apologies, and acceptance had been dealt with and there was no sense in continuing to beat a dead horse, as the saying on Earth went.

Signum looked down before drawing a somewhat pensive breath. "I require... advice." A feeling of nervousness gripped her. Why was this more difficult than she had imagined?

Lindy gave no indication of surprise. In truth, she had been expecting something like this. Even the most independent of individuals needed guidance of some sort along the way. It was merely an issue of them realizing they needed it. She herself had sought out help on myriad subjects over the course of her life, a few of which after receiving a shove or two from friends and family who had grown tired of her ignorance. The real issue was what sort of advice Signum was seeking. "What about?" She smiled gently. "It's rare for you to seek help. From myself least of all."

"I have recently become... involved with someone." Involved? What a poor way of describing it. Can she not be more honest in her own words? Swallowing, Signum shakes her head. "No, it is more proper to say I have fallen in love."

It took a great deal of effort on Lindy's part to not allow herself to break into a catty grin and begin teasing the woman seated next to her. Love? The stoic and devout knight of the sword had fallen in love? Oh who could it be to have stolen away the heart of Signum Yagami? Schooling her emotions and expression into one far more appropriate for the subject at hand, she allows herself a happy smile. "That's wonderful! Who's the lucky one to catch your fancy?"

Signum smiled. A warm and secret smile as she spoke the name of her beloved. "Yuuno Scrya."

Of all the individuals Signum could have named, Yuuno's was not one Lindy quite expected to be revealed to her. However considering the frequent and often heated battles she'd heard about between the two, she really shouldn't be as surprised as she is. She must be getting a little rusty in her retirement to have not seen the signs. Still, her composure threatens to break as the inner desire to meddle and torment grows ever stronger. "Oh? Our young librarian has caught the eye of the might Knight of the Sword? You're going to make a lot of people cry you know~"

Signum could only blush slightly at the teasing tone of Lindy's voice. "I... Well..." Really, if she can handle Lady Hayate, she ought to be capable of handling Lindy. Taking a breath to compose herself, she gives a small shrug. "It is their own fault."

Lindy merely chuckled. "Does he know? He's not a fool, no matter what my son might say." Indeed, Chrono was almost always ready to lay down an insult or reprimand about his friend. Such an odd friendship they have.

The blush upon Signum's cheeks could have been far worse had she not fought to control it. Even so, it was enough to be quite obvious. "He does. We confessed to one another during the excavation I accompanied him on." Confessed and far more.

The response warranted a briefly raised eyebrow from the retired Admiral. She would have thought it would be the confession which was most difficult for Signum. And Yuuno returned the feelings? Then in all theory, things should be going swimmingly. Or at least as swimmingly as a newfound couple can. What, then, is the problem? "What seems to be the problem then?"

"I am... uncertain where to go from here." Signum bowed her head slightly as she spoke. "It is... unusual. Normally I would expect a couple to go on dates and spend time together to learn more about one another and deepen their bonds. Yet, our situation is hardly... normal." There was a pause as she gathered her words, Lindy waiting patiently for her to continue. "We have known each other for so many years already. Our attraction grew through battle to the point of becoming almost unhealthy. No, it _was _unhealthy. We would have destroyed each other in our battle lust had Takamachi not intervened. He is so much more experienced than I am. He's human. I'm a sentient combat program hundreds of years old. We love each other but I cannot help but feel worried. I don't know... I feel lost... I..." Her voice had become rambling as she began to pour out her concerns. Lindy halted Signum's uncharacteristic break in composure by placing a comforting hand upon her back.

"Signum, it's all right. Love is love partly because it makes no sense at all. And I think you're making some rather dangerous assumptions there." Lindy began rubbing the confused Knight's back as she would her son's when he had been particularly distraught in his younger years. Signum glanced over with a questioning look in her eyes at the rebuke. "You're assuming there's such a thing as 'normal' when it comes to love and relationships and that experience is the trump to making something succeed. They aren't."

"What do you mean?" Shouldn't there be a norm for everything? Some standard by which to gauge all others? How else can things fall into the categories they do? And should not something with greater experience hold an advantage and lead?

Lindy paused as she thought about how to answer the query placed before her. "Everyone is different and everyone goes about living differently. Sure there can be similarities, but I think you could search for ten thousand years and never find two couples that go about love in the same way. Why, I remember when I first realized I had fallen in love with Clyde."

Remaining silent, Signum listened intently.

"I was a few years younger than him and we were in the same squadron at the time. He was a good man who enjoyed a good drink with his comrades and had the strangest obsession with the color blue. But despite his quirks, I found myself wanting to know more about him. And the more I knew, the more I fell in love with him. I was always making a fool of myself in front of him and he always gave me this kind smile full of mirth whenever we saw one another. I have to say, my confession could have gone far better than it had." She giggled fondly at the memory and placed a hand on her slightly red cheeks. "I had called him out to an overlook by the ocean on the planet we were stationed on. I don't think I'd ever been that nervous before."

"What happened?" Signum's inquiry was filled with curiosity, eager to know what had happened.

Lindy laughed. "I fell off the overlook halfway through and he tried to catch me. We wound up walking back to base soaked to the bone and me feeling completely miserable." Her laughter grew even further, so steeped in precious memories was she. Signum's confused gaze made the laughter ever more amused. "He said that confessing by the ocean probably wasn't a good idea and asked if I'd like to have dinner after we'd both gotten into something dry."

"You mean he was...?" To Signum, it sounded more like a romantic comedy of sorts. The sort Shamal was fond of.

Lindy nodded. "He was in love with me as well. He just never quite knew what to do with his feelings or how to express them. You wouldn't believe just how much stumbling in the dark we did trying to figure out what a couple was supposed to do. And we made it work somehow, even though neither of us had _any_ sort of experience" Casting a sideways glance at Signum at the mention of experience, she continued. "But that's how we became what we did. Admiral Leti met her husband in a completely different way. And a far less embarrassing one as well."

The former admiral smiled as she recalled the event as Leti had relayed it to her one day. "He's an engineer for the TSAB's ship development division. They met when she had to go down to the docks and retrieve some hard copy reports about something. I can't recall what, exactly. Probably an engine design. But that's not important. He began explaining something and by the end, she'd asked if he'd like to continue their talk over lunch. And the rest is history."

Signum appeared somewhat conflicted at hearing the two very different tales. There was no basis for her to compare her own situation to. While being no stranger to venturing into the unknown, those situations tended to involve life or death struggles against an unknown foe. Something she could sink her sword into and hopefully emerge triumphant against. The realm of battle where she was truly in her element. The realm of the heart, she was far less so. The idea of failing here was far more terrifying than being cut down by some fearsome and unknown enemy. "Then... There truly is no 'normal' way about it?"

Lindy shook her head and gave an honest and simple answer. "None at all. You could ask a thousand people and get a thousand or more answers."

"I see... That does not put me at ease." There was no sort of complaint or condemnation in her voice or bearing, merely an admittance of her feelings. Then again, when has anything ever been so easy? She would admit it was a little foolish to expect it from this matter.

"It wasn't really supposed to. But I think sometimes knowing how hard things can be will help later on when you reach that point." It was something she wished she'd truly taken the time to consider when she'd wed Clyde. Perhaps it would have made dealing with his loss just a little more bearable. Opting to try and steer the conversation onto something she hoped would let her provide a little more assistance to the confused knight, she dove for one of the potentially more juicy morsels of Signum's romance. "I'm a little curious about something... How did you confess to him? Or did he confess first?"

Signum looked away, the crimson from before returning to her cheeks in full force. For all her composure, intimate matters were still rather... difficult to convey in many ways. "He confessed first. But at my insistence. We were..." She swallows nervously before continuing. "In bed at the time..."

Lindy's expression was one of surprise as she held a hand up to her mouth. "Oh my." If Yuuno being the object of Signum's affection had been unexpected, then circumstances of their mutual admission was certainly more so by a great margin.

Turning back to Lindy, she continued. "It was something begun in the heat of the moment. There had been a great deal of tension between us, building over the course of our battles and interactions. It eventually snapped. But before we went too far, I asked him. I had to know if he felt the same as I did."

"And he did." Lindy's statement of the obvious was met with a nod of the head.

"There was no falsehood in him. Not in his words. His eyes. Nowhere. He was as sure and honest as I have ever seen him. I confessed to him my own feelings. And then..." She trailed off, the memories of the eve coming back en masse.

"You had sex?" Signum nodded once more, appearing to feel a slight more composed in her demeanor. Lindy coughed with an awkward smile. "Well, I have to say I was not expecting things to develop so quickly from what you told me before. Then again, Clyde and I weren't exactly waiting till marriage either, so I don't have much room to talk. ...Speaking of talking, I imagine the two of you came to terms in the morning?" It was a probing question, not one Lindy was entirely sure she ought to be asking. But from what she gathered, Signum and Yuuno had been acting on a great deal of built up passion.

"We did... Somewhat." The knight's eyes seemed to fade as she recalled the morning after in all its myriad details. Even now, she was still somewhat surprised she had experienced such a thing.

_-FLASHBACK-_

The first sensation which had encroached upon her waking senses was warmth. An alien, but not unwelcome warmth as she felt a pair of arms wrapped around her midsection. Those arms pulled her closely against their owner, the man which whom she'd shared a night of violent and loving ecstasy with. Her first night no less. The reminder of which prompted her to acknowledge the second sensation to assail her mind.

It was an ache like no other. A pain which began from her loins and saturated her lower half. Something she could not begin to compare to all her training. And she decided, it was not entirely unpleasant. At the very least the memories associated with its origins were certainly enough to make it so.

But as the light of day began to creep through the window, past the shuttered blinds, and lay upon them, she began to truly recall the night before.

The lust.

The violence.

The love.

The brutality.

She and Yuuno had given in to their desires and enacted a battle of such sensuality, she can scarcely believe her own memories at her actions. Was she not the stoic and proud knight of her Lady Hayate? She very much was. But now she had gone beyond being a knight and had become a woman as well. She had always been a woman, but now she had acted upon her wishes as one.

A stirring and a groan drew her from such thoughts as her bedmate and lover began to rise.

She turned her head slightly to look to over as Yuuno perched his head upon her shoulder, his sleepy gaze still hidden by closed eyelids. "Good morning." Part of her wonders if she shouldn't have said something more. Something of greater significance. However this part is drowned out by an onslaught of two rather potent emotions. Contentment and concern.

Contentment at just how simple and comfortable she feels at the moment.

Concern at the fact their lives have been irreparably changed in a very powerful way.

"Morning..." His response was groggy and made him sound as though he would like nothing more than to return to the land of slumber. And he probably would if he doesn't get a cup of coffee in him sooner than later. Combine the fact Yuuno was already sluggish in the morning with what they'd done last night, she was quite certain he'd fall back asleep in very short order.

She attempted to extricate herself from his embrace to no avail, not even being able to turn and face him given their positions. "We must get up or the day will be wasted." In more ways than one. The only response Signum received was a mumble as Yuuno nuzzled against her neck, burying his face in her messy locks of pink. It certainly felt nice, but they could not remain in bed forever. Her voice dropped into a more commanding tone, one she used to make scatter brained recruits pay attention rather quickly. "Yuuno, _wake up_."

Yuuno nearly shot up at the tone and his reaction brought a small grin to her face. She'll have to remember this. It would be easier than physically dragging him from the bed. More amusing too.

"I'm up! I'm up. What's happening?" Awake he may be, but aware he is obviously not. As she turns and sits up to face him, recognition dawns upon his features. Signum notes his disheveled appearance and bewildered expression is somewhat... endearing. Before he can utter another word, she shifts somewhat awkwardly and leans over for a kiss.

It was neither searing, nor was it passionate. It was simple. A showing of affection between lovers. Lovers, is such a term accurate for them now? It certainly seems so. But can she truly know for certain? A few of those novels of hers seems to state as such. But life does not always parallel fiction so well. Regardless, a good morning kiss is something she feels should not be missed. As they separate she hesitates, not entirely certain how to go about bringing up the numerous thoughts swirling about her mind. In the end, it seemed as if Yuuno was the one to recover first.

He sits up properly to face her, taking in her contemplative look as he does so. Are her concerns so clearly etched on her face? They must be for him to be giving her such a worried look after what they'd done. Their exchanged confessions. The heat of their bodies moving together. The feeling of love both physical and emotional. "Are... Are you alright?"

Signum nodded with an assured look. "I am a little sore, but otherwise fine." It is to be expected, is it not?

Yuuno shook his head. "That's... not what I meant. I mean, I'm glad you're only feeling a little sore after all that. We weren't exactly too gentle with each other. I tried to be in the end and... And I'm rambling, aren't I?" He took a deep breath to try and calm himself before continuing. "I meant, are you alright with... us? With what we did and what we said to each other."

"...Oh." So he realized it too. She should not be so surprised. He has been in this situation with at least Takamachi before. This world changing scenario wherein one's life undergoes a dramatic alteration. A gnawing feeling of immense worry begins to settle in her belly. A deep fear her actions may have been driven solely by the heat of the moment. Joining it is an even greater one. The fear Yuuno's actions were driven as such. It ties her tongue and stills her thoughts, trapping her.

It does make sense on some level. How heated their battles became. How driven they were to conquer the other. And she will not deny just how much she wanted to see Yuuno try to dominate her whilst she put forth every effort to do the same to him. The eve prior had become so much like battle it was hard to tell when it diverged from conquest to caresses. Had it all just been a new form of combat? Something resulting from the heat of the moment?

"Signum." Yuuno's words broke through her ever darkening thoughts like a hammer upon glass. He reached over and placed his hands on her cheeks. She could not help but note how warm they were. "Look at me." And she did, her normally sure and determined blue eyes showing slivers of the fears preying upon her. "I meant it. Every word."

Signum would count herself as a very good judge of character. And much as she had felt last night, she could feel his words were true. Yuuno Scrya is not a liar.

As her heart fights away the darkness and fear, she places a hand atop his and nods with a small smile. "I as well. I just... I need time. Time to come to grips with this. To understand everything." Already everything had happened so fast. She could not continue to charge in head first. She needs to think. About so very much. Where to go from here. What to do. How to do it.

"I think we both do. I mean, this is the first time we've really stopped to think about... well, us. It's a lot to take in." He gave a silly chuckle. The sort one gives when they realize they've done something foolish. Indeed they had been rather foolish, to not stop and think until now. After they'd run full tilt into the most intimate of physical relationships and heartfelt confessions. She cannot stop herself from joining in Yuuno's laughter.

After their amusement had begun to fade, Signum pulled Yuuno's hands into her own. "It is. But, we have some time."

Yuuno nodded in agreement before leaning forward to give her a gentle kiss. A kiss which was interrupted by a pair of hungry stomachs. Both turned red with embarrassment, a rather amusing imagine given just how much they had revealed to one another in so short a time. "How about we get dressed and get something to eat? I'll cook."

Signum nodded in agreement, noting just now how hungry she was. "Much appreciated."

He smiled. "Anytime"

_-END FLASHBACK-_

Noting Signum was not going to be any more forthcoming on the details of what exactly had been talked about and deciding there were indeed limits to how far she could pry, Lindy decided to leave the topic be for the time being. "Well, so long as you talked about it. Silence isn't exactly as golden as they say it is." There was another question which had been burning on her tongue since she'd heard who the lucy man was. But simply jumping into it seemed rather rude. Especially since Signum was in need of advice rather than fueling her desire to gossip. "Mind if I ask how long have you two been attracted to one another?"

It took a little while for Signum to answer as she tried to pinpoint exactly when it all began. "I suppose... early last Autumn at the earliest. By winter most certainly." It was truly difficult to tell. For someone who had never expected to find such love, it was rather difficult to pinpoint exactly when she had fallen for the librarian.

"Not so short a time after all. And now you've come to realize how you feel for one another and don't know where to go..." They'd come back to the heart of the matter. Lindy placed her hands on her lap and met the crystal blue eyes of the knight with a gentle, yet serious, look. "Signum, I'd like you to ask yourself something."

Signum gave a quizzical look in response. Wondering just what sort of question she would be given.

"What is it you want out of this? It's something I wish I'd asked myself when Clyde and I got together. We were honestly flying by the seat of our pants. We may have had a wonderful time before he passed and made countless irreplaceable memories, but... I can't help but wonder if maybe things could have turned out differently if we'd taken the time to think a little more about what we wanted." Maybe one of them would have decided to stay home and spend more time with Chrono. Maybe they've have had another child. Maybe Clyde would have lived to see his son become an admiral. So many maybes...

There was a light in Signum's gaze as she drank in Lindy's words. What did she want? She already knew she had a sparring partner in Yuuno. But such a thing could be found anywhere. Her gaze went skyward once more as she ruminated upon the question. What did she want? It was easy to imagine all manner of scenario with Yuuno in her life in all degree of closeness.

But then she began to imagine life without.

A life bereft of this love she'd found.

A love which belonged only to her. One which she had tasted the fruit of and did not wish to relinquish. Did not wish to never taste again.

The thought of suffering such a fate made a cold weight settle in the pit of her stomach.

"I... do not wish to be without. I wish to have him. Only him. Now and..." Her gaze, now firm in her resolve, lowered to the horizon. "Now and forever. For good and ill."

A smile graced Lindy's lips at Signum's words. "And what of a family? Do you want one of your own?"

This gave Signum pause. A family. A family of her own. She may already be a part of a loving and warm family. But the notion of creating her own with Yuuno... She did not have an immediate answer. It was not something she had thought about. The concept of being a... mother. Of having children to call her own. Never before had the idea crossed her mind. "I... I am unsure. I have not considered it before."

"So long as you do better than I and start thinking about it now. I know quite a few couples who are perfectly content with no children. I just think it would be better for you to think about it before you get married is all." She and Clyde had actually not even considered the idea of children until Chrono came along. And tragedy had ended their plans to give their son more siblings. Perhaps if they'd thought ahead... Asked those questions... No, it's in the past now. She's moved on and raised a wonderful son.

Signum nodded, deep in thought. There was so much she had never considered. She had been living more in the moment than considering the future. It brought a measure of shame to her countenance to realize how short sighted she'd been. And not only in regards to her own feelings. but Yuuno's as well. At the very least, she now had something to think about. A set of destinations to choose. And with those destinations, she could plan.

Suddenly, she did not feel so... unnerved of the future.

Lindy stood to give the pondering Knight time to think, but was stopped before she could leave by Signum's grateful voice. "Thank you Lindy. I appreciate what you've done for me. I believe... I will be able to find my answer now."

"It was no trouble at all." Lindy's motherly smile made her eyes glimmer with warmth and no small amount of mischief. "I'll leave you be. And thank you again for dinner."

Signum returned the smile and nodded, turning her gaze back up to the stars.

As Lindy reentered the house, complete with it's riotous level of noise, she could not help the long suppressed grin any longer. It split her face in a catlike manner. Oh, the look on her son's face when he hears about this~

As for the pink haired knight beneath the starlight, she had a great deal on her mind.

To cling to the idea of normalcy would likely only invite disaster.

To expect experience to guide and trump inexperience was folly.

She needed time. Time to speak with Yuuno. To question and affirm what they were. What they could become. And she could not simply wait for the right opportunity to present itself. The longer it went on, the worse it could become. She would strike out of her own accord, force open a path, and find out what sort of future they could make.

Lindy had given her questions and no answers to them, only a frame of reference from what her own life had been like. Signum could draw no conclusions from such a reference. As a Belkan Knight, she knew only blood, war, and death. As Lady Hayate's Knight, she had known the warmth of a home and a loving family. Now? Now she had the chance to make her own family with the man she had come to discover love for. Somehow it was more terrifying to consider some of the easiest parts had already passed by and only the truly difficult trials lay ahead than it was to consider what failure would entail.

A failure she did not wish to experience.

But she could only ensure such a failure would not be guaranteed if she made time to talk to Yuuno. Damn her schedule, she would grasp the future with both hands no matter what.

A determined smile graces her lips as she stares heavenward. "Prepare yourself Yuuno Scrya, our greatest battle has yet to come..."

-SCENE BREAK-

The small sphere of light flew across the back yard at great speed, appearing like a miniature comet to the casual observer. Its path was intercepted by a small hand which then hurled the ball back from whence it came with a flick of the wrist and a shout of effort. The tiny figure's grin faded to shock and irritation as its assault was caught and caught and sent right back.

Agito was so certain Zwei wouldn't have been able to catch such a fast return.

Indeed the two Unison Devices were playing a game of catch. Well, in a manner of speaking. Rather it more closely resembled a game of tennis or even pong. A pair of barriers had been erected behind each and both were attempting to hurl the sphere of magic past the other and into the wall they defended. A strike was worth a point and a broken barrier worth three.

It was a fun game which doubled as a training exercise for control and power. The former being something the fiery redhead appeared to be in considerable need of. Assuming the score of four to twenty-seven was to be believed.

A crash and a shout of indignation.

Thirty.

Rather than continue the clearly one-sided game, Zwei paused and called out to her friend. Normally she fared much better than this. Even in her most foul of moods. Whatever had the fiery girl's attention was clearly beyond anything which had come before. "Agito, are you okay?"

Agito stomped her tiny foot in midair as she snapped back, "I'm _fine_. I'm just having a bad day, okay!" She regretted using such a caustic tone as she saw the other girl visibly flinch and hide behind her hands. It wasn't Zwei's fault she was like this. No it was the fault of her Meister and the stupid librarian. And at the moment, she wasn't sure who she ought to be more irate with.

Zwei tentatively peeked out from behind her rather ineffective hiding place. "A-Are you s-"

She was cut off as the redhead flew over to her with a growl, "No. You know what? I'm _not_ okay! I'm freaking pissed off and I don't know who at!" Agito swept her hands to the sides before placing them on her hips in a rough manner, a tongue of flame spouting from past her lips. A surefire sign she was truly in a foul mood. It had once been theorized she would spontaneously combust if angry enough. Something Vita had been sorely tempted to test.

"Wh-Who are you so angry at? I've never seen you like this." Well, the statement was not completely true. Zwei had seen Agito's fury reach the level of apoplectic, but never had it been directed at someone specifically. As for the question of who, she had a fairly good idea if she said so herself. Which she would have had it not been potentially hazardous to her current and future well-being.

"Who else? That damned librarian and Signum!" Rarely did she refer to Signum by her name aloud, perhaps one of the few acts of proper decorum she was able to follow with regularity. She began walking in circles in midair, frustrated and irate. "First he starts taking up her time with all these sparring matches without telling me. Then she doesn't even let me go with her because she wants to test her own strength. Bull! And what the hell kind of sparring match would make someone look _that_ satisfied!?"

Zwei could have commented, but wisely decided to let her friend continue venting.

"If it was such a damn good fight, why couldn't I come along? We're partners, right? And _then_, oh fun of fun, they run off to an 'archaeological dig' together. _Alone_. To look at rocks and old bones! _Rocks and old bones_! If she wanted to do that, she could have gone to a damned museum! Not to mention when they get back, she had this supremely smug and pleased expression on her face" By now she was ranting and raving, waving her hands about while a heat haze followed her every move.

Zwei would definitely have to disagree on the 'supremely smug and pleased expression' comment. They _had_ been looking at the same woman, right? Signum had appeared a little more happy than before she had left, not to say she was unhappy at the time. It was like there was a little more of a spring in her step. The sort which would pass the notice of any who weren't truly looking for it. Plus, there were brief moments where the swordswoman appeared a slight radiant. Usually when she thought no one else was looking.

But smug?

Hardly.

Agito wasn't quite finished, though she appeared to be winding down. "And _now_. And now..." There was a hesitance as her fiery voice turned more subdued and worried. Almost afraid to voice the rest of her thoughts. "Now she's hiding things from me."

This gave Zwei pause. The relationship between Unison Device and its Meister was a very open one. The very nature of it made such openness practically a requirement. It took a great deal of conscious effort to hide things from one another when unisoned. Such an action could easily be taken as a lack of trust. And for someone like Agito... "What do you mean, she's hiding things from you? I don't think Signum would do something like that so simply."

Agito shook her head and scowled. "She is. There's this... _thing_ that stands out whenever we unison. If feels like a door or a treasure chest. All locked up." She turned to Zwei and clenched her fists in a helpless anger. "Yeah, there are things we don't talk to each other about, but we've never _hid_ anything!" A dark gleam appeared in her eyes as her voice grew low. "I bet it has to do with that librarian. It has to. He did something."

Zwei could take no more of this as she placed her hands on the other device's shoulders in a desperate motion. "Agito! Calm down. Please... calm down." Something tells her she's going be having a word or two with her elder sister soon. Well, after helping clear up a few things her friend seems to be in the dark about at the very least. "First off, err..."

"Err, what?" Now Agito was glowering at her. This certainly was off to a fine start.

"You... did ask her about it, right?" Much like Signum, Zwei had long since realized Agito had the same problem about verbosity. It just manifested in different ways. For the redhead, it came in the form of assuming things and expecting more answers to be given to her rather than digging for the information she wanted. Even Vita was better at questioning things.

"Of course I did! What do you think I am? Stupid?" The manner of her heated reply only lent more credit to Zwei's observation. "I asked her what happened on the damned trip and she smiled and said she'd had a good time."

There are times when Reinforce Zwei truly worries about her friend's intellect.

This is one of them.

"And you just left it at that?" A nod indicating such a thing should be obvious made the powder blue haired girl sigh and hang her head in resignation. "Then you _don't_ know Signum and Yuuno are..." She trailed off as she tried to find the best descriptor which would not reduce her to a blushing mess. "...lovers?"

You could hear a pin drop in the silence which followed. And the shocked expression on Agito's face was one which would have made for a painting of legendary composition.

"_WHAT!?_"

Zwei had to wait for her ears to stop ringing before she could put futilely try to put a stop to another session of ranting and raving. Most of it consisting of disbelief and remarks pertaining to the now deceased Zest and Lutecia's mother. Well, at least she knows who the father is now. Hayate will be pleased. Apparently her Master had money riding on such a pairing. Though many of the more colorful remarks turned her cheeks a cherry hue.

It boggled her how someone could know so much while being so blind.

Even she was not so blind in her innocence.

However one would argue the constant presence of Yagami Hayate and having seen deep into the woman's mind would corrupt even a saint. The eroge alone was enough to make the most hardened of individuals blush.

Now the hold was reversed as Agito had grabbed Zwei by the shoulders and was shaking her, demanding answers she could have had a long time ago had she merely inquired a little further. "How? Why? When? What is going on? Is that what she's hiding?!"

Prying herself from the fire pixie's grasp, Zwei took a few moments to make the world stop spinning. "It happened by chance I think. I think only Nanoha knows when it actually stopped being sparring and started being some kind of weird dating thing. Hayate said something about the 'UST' being thicker than Zafira's skull over the phone." Shaking her head to clear up the rest of her thoughts, she crossed her arms thoughtfully. "I think they told each other how they feel on the trip and that's why things are like this now."

Agito growled slightly as she ruffled her hair. "That doesn't explain why she's hiding it from me."

Zwei could only shrug helplessly. "Maybe she wasn't ready to share it? It must be a pretty personal moment for her. She and Yuuno haven't actually told anybody yet either." Open secrets were funny like that.

It was a decent length silence which followed as the redhead chewed on what she'd been told. "Dammit. Now I feel like an idiot... I should have trusted her. But... dammit!"

"You were worried. I'd feel the same if I were in your shoes. Are you... okay with this?" There was a hesitancy in her last words. Because if things panned out like she and more than a few other hoped, then...

A nod and a snort. "Of course I'm okay with it. I just hate being in the dark. Signum deserves to be happy. I do think she could have chosen someone better than a damn bookworm though. Especially that one. He's so puny and weak."

"I think both of them would disagree with you on that." Zwei couldn't help but laugh merrily as the tension in the air began to ease. She felt a measure of amusement imagining what sort of individuals Agito was comparing Yuuno to.

"Sh-Shut up! Until I see it for myself, he's a stupid weakling who is undeserving of my Meister's affection!"

Zwei could only continue to laugh as Agito spouted denials and attacks upon Yuuno's perceived manliness.

-SCENE BREAK-

She could not help the ominous chuckle which escaped her lips as she stalked her target. There would be no hiding from her. Especially not after forcing her to wait for so long. For nearly four weeks since his return she had plotted and planned. Every possible avenue of attack was considered and taken advantage of in her quest.

Yet all of it for nought as it seemed life was fully determined to get in the way of her inquisition at each and every turn. Whether against her or against him, something always seemed to get in the way.

It was enough to drive a woman mad.

Nevertheless, Nanoha Takamachi had finally managed to divine the proper time and place where there would be no escape. No convenient shield to protect him from her.

Yes, she would finally ferret out some answers from Yuuno.

Hopefully without the use of terrible puns.

Stealthy footsteps brought Nanoha to the massive doors of his office. She'd not risk him hearing her approach in any way. How else would she get the drop on him? While many would consider this course of action childish, many were not her. And she would thoroughly enjoy seeing the shocked look on his face.

She blames Hayate for this, she really does. Such a bad influence the Mistress of the Tome was. But who is she to complain now? Such teasing and sneaking was fun.

With years of experience, Nanoha gently nudges open one of the doors. Just a crack. Just a sliver so she might see inside and catch sight of her quarry. Lo and behold, there rests her target. The Head Librarian seemed fast asleep at his desk, head down upon an open tome and a pen still held in one hand.

It would seem he's overworked himself. Again.

Well, given what he's found recently and the general chaos which sprung up in the wake of his discovery, it's to be somewhat expected. He was rewriting more historical data than anyone could have ever imagined possible. It was like he'd found the Belkan equivalent of the Rose Rock. Or something to like that. History wasn't her greatest subject, after all. Though if she didn't know Signum was just as busy as the snoozing blonde, she'd have given the swordswoman a piece of her mind about letting her boyfriend work himself to exhaustion.

Now there had been a fun little development.

From her initial discovery of what had seemed to be a brutal and sexually charged series of battles to her revealing talk with Fate, Nanoha could not say she didn't see such a development coming. It didn't make it any less of a shock, however. Theory, no matter how well founded, could still surprise you when it turned into reality. Especially when it came to the love lives of her friends.

Now if only those two weren't the only ones being interesting.

Everyone else in a relationship was becoming predictable. Is this the sort of irritation Hayate feels when nothing of interest is going on? Something tells her she's allowing the woman to have just a bit too much influence on her life.

However, she can contemplate these thoughts later. She has a duty to perform. The duty of the previous girlfriend and current best friend to tease, torment, and find good natured amusement in her former magic instructor.

The doors opened just far enough for Nanoha to slip in undetected and with as little noise as possible. A task made far easier considering how well taken care of they were. The doors made barely a sound as they moved. Had she a hat, she would have tipped it to the maintenance crews for a job well done.

Now then, she has a certain Scrya to wake~

Nanoha's light footsteps were barely audible as she prowled the room, stalking ever closer to the sleeping Yuuno whilst weaving through the piles of parchment and mounds of codices and tomes. It did not take her long to cross the distance and circle around to the other side of his desk. Though there was a close call when her hip bumped a particularly large stack of tomes, fortunately she managed to catch it in time. Fortunately for her, that is.

Fighting back a giggle, the White Devil leaned over to get a better look at Yuuno. His sleeping face was just as cute as ever. Taking the end of her long reddish brown tresses in hand, she carefully began to tease the sleeping man with it. Beginning with his cheeks, Nanoha began to tickle him ever more dangerously with her silky mane as she moved about from his nose to his ear.

She was not disappointed as Yuuno began to stir and mumble, vainly trying to ward off his assailant with meager movements and sleepy, unintelligible mutterings. This was always fun. Too bad she never really had a chance to do so lately. And now it might be considered inappropriate. Perhaps she ought to tell Signum about this little game. The knight certainly had the hair for it and such a fun technique shouldn't be lost to the ages. Yes, she would definitely give the pink haired woman proper instruction on this.

Well, she can't play with him forever.

Moving aside some papers and books, Nanoha hops up to take a seat on Yuuno's desk. The action produces enough noise and motion to finally wake the tuckered out librarian. She chuckles as he looks about for his glasses and the source of the disturbance. He didn't really have to look far. "Good morning sleepyhead."

Yuuno finally managed to secure his glasses and get a proper look at who was sitting on his desk. Granted, the voice alone was enough to tell him right off, but humans tend to be visual creatures. "Nanoha?" He blinked in slight confusion as he gathered his wits. He couldn't recall her saying she'd stop by. Then again, Nanoha does as Nanoha is wont to do.

"How many times have we all told you to stop overworking yourself?" The rebuke is stern, but well-worn and friendly. If she were to take the time and count up the actual number, it would easily exceed the hundreds. She crossed her legs as she smiled down at him.

The blonde yawned and stretched, feeling his back pop rather loudly, before grinning. "Far too many times to count. I've been so busy lately that I've barely had time to eat." Which is unfortunately, not exactly an exaggeration.

Nanoha nodded in a manner resembling a resigned agreement. "So has everyone else. Just the the day, Fate was called out not five minutes after walking in the door. It's crazy." Her despondent expression turns to one of mirth and teasing, eliciting a slightly nervous look from her friend, but to her enjoyment. "However~"

"However...?" A raised eyebrow accompanied the questioning reply.

"That's no excuse for you to not be sweeping Signum off her feet, now is it?" A softness had joined her expression as she delivered the second rebuke of the day to Yuuno. She and Yuuno had stalled and hit a wall they could not overcome in their attempt at a serious relationship. The woman did not want to see a similar thing happen to him again.

Yuuno blinked before smiling with a mixture of resignation and amusement. No one could hide anything from Takamachi Nanoha. Well, perhaps Hayate. But Hayate is some kind of monstrous being, so he's not so sure it counts. He shouldn't be surprised Nanoha knows about Signum and himself. Even if they'd not gone out of their way to announce it, they hadn't hidden it either. The gargantuan piles of work they both suffered had made contact limited. It did not help their relationship was not exactly standard and neither were the most eloquent of individuals. How he longed for a chance to even just sit down with Signum for a short time and enjoy her company.

Loving glances and the brushing of fingers as they passed on another could only sate them for so long at this stage.

Theirs was a love borne from fire and battle. He supposed this would be the quenching process before it was returned to the forge. The thought did not make it much more bearable.

He shook his head before looking up at Nanoha. "No, it's not. I just wish we had time. Even if one of us managed some free time, the other ends up being stuck with some task they can't get away from." It was truly maddening. A sentiment he had little doubt Signum shared. Yuuno set his chin on his palm with a grimace. "I haven't even had the chance to take her out on a proper date yet."

Nanoha gave a sympathetic wince. "And I bet even less of a chance for one of your battles either." A despondent nod confirmed her words. Ouch. Such was the downside of having such busy and high profile jobs. One might think Yuuno, being the Head of the Infinity LIbrary, could just take time off whenever. Unfortunately it was not so. He had so much on his plate there was little chance to actually use the accumulated vacation time. He, and many of their friends, was not one to simply drop everything on a whim for a little R&R or even some personal time.

No matter how much they wished they could at times.

The brunette adopted a melancholy expression as she looked up to the ceiling, her thoughts awash in memories. "Remember what happened to us? The proverbial wall we hit?" The wall they had struck and been unable to surpass had been one of their own making. There had indeed been a genuine love between the two. One which could have taken them to a great and wonderful future. But their nemesis had been time. A nemesis they could have surpassed had they not built the wall, brick by brick, with their own hands.

Yuuno looked down at the surface of his desk, recalling all too vividly what Nanoha was referring to. "Yeah... We were awkward childhood friends and tried to become something more. And that was even more awkward sometimes." It was a great understatement. Things had been clumsy and terribly confusing for the couple, but they had managed to persevere and take it as far as they had. "We just... didn't make time for each other. Not the right kind of time, anyways."

They'd set aside time which was convenient.

Not time which took effort and work.

"We were young, dumb, and workaholics. So we took the easy route." Nanoha's melancholy spread further into her voice. The easy route is rarely ever the good route. Especially in a relationship. "Well, we're still workaholics, but we should know better by now. I just don't want what happened to us to happen to the two of you. I don't want you or Signum to wake up one day next to someone you don't recognize."

Both would readily admit later on they had been running on the momentum they'd built up as children during the death defying escapades which had made up a good portion of their younger years. But momentum runs out. And by the time they started to lose it, neither were the same people they'd been when they'd set out on their path. People change as they grow up. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. But when it came down to it, Nanoha had still been in love with the young boy from her childhood and Yuuno the little girl from his youth. They hadn't grown to love the people they had become because they simply hadn't been able to make the time to do so.

They had worked and worked and worked, not seeing the changed they'd undergone whenever they'd met. Only seeing themselves still as the awkward and loving couple they had used to be.

Yuuno could only nod, knowing just how true Nanoha's words were. "At the very least we made some precious memories." But memories alone cannot give a couple the momentum to make a future.

The realization of the insurmountable roadblock had been a stunning one. One which had left them dumbfounded and heartbroken. There was no magic solution. No mystical fix-all. No special tape they could use to put themselves back together. There was still love. A great love between them which would never burn out. But it was not the sort of love which belonged to lovers, rather it was the sort which belonged to friends. Friends and nothing more.

Nanoha chuckled despite the somber mood. "We sure did, didn't we..."

They sat in silence for a short time, reminiscing upon their youth and the follies within. Neither would ever regret the time they'd had together. There was indeed some regret over how life had panned out afterwards, but they are only human. But they still had their own futures to look forward to.

The increasingly gloomy mood was shattered when Nanoha took it upon herself to get back on track and go about her original purpose. "So, what exactly happened on that little trip~?" Her tone was so catty, so teasing, Yuuno could not help but recoil slightly and blush.

"N-Nothing!" Yuuno's gut reaction did little to placate the White Devil. A statement made quite obvious by the playful narrowing of her eyes.

"Hmm~?" Yes, she's definitely been too greatly influenced by Hayate. "Nothing doesn't make a couple. Nor does it suddenly clear up a massive amount of... _tension_." She could tell quite readily what had happened on the excavation. It was hard not to. But she wanted her fun in making Yuuno talk.

Yuuno coughed and tried to compose himself. She was getting much better at throwing him off balance. And at a far faster rate than he could adapt, no less. Still, Nanoha wanted him to say it and she wasn't going to relent until he did. There was no place he could run or hide even if he wanted to. With a sigh and warm smile, he confessed, "We told each other how we felt. We love each other and we want to see where this will go. Even if we did get off to a really bizarre start." He chuckled at the end, feeling a lightness in his heart.

For her part, Nanoha looked rather pleased. But Yuuno wasn't done as he held her gaze. "But I'm actually a little concerned about how you feel about this whole thing."

The brunette tilted her head in mild confusion. "How I feel?"

A nod. "Yeah. Signum told me about that talk you had with her before we left. I wanted to speak with you about it, but, well..." He trailed off, gesturing to the piles of work splayed about the office.

Nanoha's mouth opened in an expression of recognition. "Ahh. Ahahaha... Yeah, I was pretty worried about you. No one had said anything and suddenly I'm watching you and Signum looking like you're trying to kill each other." She held up a hand before Yuuno could respond. "It was a side of you I'd never seen and I honestly thought Signum was trying to use you as some sort of plaything."

The shocked look on Yuuno's face told her he hadn't really thought about it in such a manner.

"I was afraid I was going to lose you. That she would break you or you'd go too far and never return." The smile on her face was a little awkward and embarrassed. "Even if we're not lovers anymore, we're still best friends."

Running a hand through his hair, Yuuno looked apologetic. "I'm sorry. I should have said something."

Nanoha waved him off with a more relaxed smile. "You didn't think you were doing anything wrong. And you don't have to be held accountable to me." Her expression turned stern for a moment as she continued. "But you do know who you do need to be held accountable to."

Yuuno nodded, a similar expression gracing his own features. "Myself. ...And Signum." If he could not hold himself accountable for his actions, then how could he do the same for Signum. He was responsible for his every action. They reflected upon himself and now the woman he had fallen in love with.

"So there is more than book smarts in that cranium of yours." The return of the brunette's amused smile eased the once more increasingly somber mood which had begun to settle. "Now use those smarts to figure out what you need to do next." Left unsaid was the reminder of what they'd lost. If he couldn't, he and Signum were doomed to share the same fate as he'd shared with her. Nanoha did not wish for one of her dear friends to suffer in such a way a second time.

"Yeah, I will. If I screw this up, a Starlight Breaker will be the least of my concerns." His grin was simple in its slight teasing, green eyes showing a sliver of mischief as he replied in a mix of good humor and warm sincerity.

Crossing her arms, Nanoha pouted even as she approved of his response. "I don't use that to solve _all_ my problems, you know."

He didn't let the chance slide. "No, just most of them." The impotent growl she gave made him laugh. His grin sobered into a friendly smile. "Still, thanks for watching out for us and for kicking my head back into working order."

She smiled as she reached over and mussed his hair. "What are friends for?" With a hop off the desk, Nanoha stood and swung around behind Yuuno's chair. "Now..." Her slender arms snaked around the blonde's shoulder, holding him in his seat.

"Nanoha?" He did not like the tone she used. It sent a chill down his spine. And not the good sort. Not good at all.

The White Devil's grin became one fit to match her title. "Tell me~ Were you rough or gentle with her~?"

Even as the conversation devolved into sputters, laughs, and teasing, Yuuno was making plans. Plans for the future. He would not make the same mistake twice. Mistakes he surely would have repeated had Nanoha not made her impromptu visit and reminded of what had been lost.

This was not convenience. This was not simple R&R. He was in love with Signum Yagami and he would make sure to not let this chance slip from his fingers. No matter how hard he had to work to do so, he would do it with a smile on his face and in his heart.

He had to start somewhere. And the fact he'd yet to take the lovely Knight of the Sword out on a proper date seemed to be a good one. There they could talk. There they could do as he had not in the past. He refused to allow this to be lost without a fight. A fight he would put everything he had into it. He would bleed himself dry if needed and then some.

No longer would he sit by and wait for the first move. He could wait until the end of time for Signum to approach him and break this state of existence if she was so inclined. But not now. Not again. He would make the first move.

He wanted to be a sword.

It was time for him to act like it.

A glint of intent filled his eyes as a very specific plan began to form. A plan which he could not accomplish on his own. He would miss something vital or trip himself up at the worst possible moment if he attempted this venture on his own. He folded his hands in front of his face as he spoke. "Nanoha, may I ask for your help with something?"

As the White Devil listened, she began to grin in a manner which could almost be considered wicked.

It looks like Arf is going to be pulling overtime again.

-CHAPTER END-

-OMAKE-

As her heart fights away the darkness and fear, she places a hand atop his and nods with a small smile. "I as well. I just... I need time. Time to come to grips with this. To understand everything." A rare sliver of mirth slips into her voice. "Unlike you who has plundered the innocence of so many fair maidens, I am still pure of heart."

Yuuno nearly fell over at the taunt. "I didn't 'plunder' anything!"

"Takamachi asked when you would next set sail for the high seas."

"Wha-?"

"And Testarossa said to be a bit more gentle the next time you shiver her timbers."

"I-!"

"Hayate showed me the eyepatch."

"..."

"..."

"...She really showed you the eyepatch"

"She was quite disappointed when you would not let her dress up in the cabin boy outfit."

"It wasn't done yet. Nanoha told her that."

"Understandable. Now then, I believe you have a first mate's booty to plunder?

"Eh?"

The return home was delayed for a few more days.


	9. Lady in Red

This is is everyone. This is really it. I present to you, after a wait that was far too long, the final chapter of Swords and Shields. I am hoping the sheer size of it will garner at least a little forgiveness for how long it took to get this to everyone. Again, an incredible amount of thanks to everyone who helped out, especially KnightOfCerberus. Without his help as a beta, this story would have crashed and burned so very, very badly.

Now then, I'll stop blathering and let you start reading. There'll be more Author's Notes at the end.

Enjoy.

-CHAPTER START-

Yuuno could think of a great many ways to wake up, some far more pleasant than others.

For instance, waking up slowly without any sort of alarm going off in the peace of mid-morning whilst being just aware enough to properly appreciate the comfort of a good night's rest and the warmth of the blankets. He absolutely cherished any chances to wake in such a manner. To make it even better, nay-perfect, he could have in his arms the form of a beautiful swordswoman with long rosette hair. Yes, such a morning would be perfect.

This morning was not one of those.

It was the opposite.

His alarm was not one of horrendous screeching or song-bytes from a clock or his phone, rather it was the repeated crashing of a rather solid object upon his front door. Were he in a more eloquent state of mind, he would compare it to a battering ram against the gates of an old castle. The air was far too cold, a product of his own doing by turning up the air conditioning while forgetting to set the timer to turn it off. Add in his tossing and turning for much of the night, and he would have to say this morning was far from a pleasant one.

At least it was still mid-morning, which was not entirely comforting considering the rest of his morning troubles.

As he pulled himself out of bed, he tried to conjure up any conceivable reason for someone to be pounding on his front door with such exuberance. So far as he knew, there was none. Nothing which could not be done via call through vidphone. Perhaps a neighbor? Maybe they needed help with something.

Yuuno's answer finally came in the form of a loud voice yelling from behind the portal into his home. "Yuuno! If you don't open up, I'm going to start telling embarrassing stories about you as loudly as I can~!"

He'd recognize that voice and not so playful threat anywhere. What's more, Nanoha would definitely make good on it, much to his horror. He must have words with a certain tanuki about corrupting influences on impressionable devils. Especially devils who have more ammunition than is reasonable to have on a person.

Trying to not trip over himself getting to the door whilst putting on some decent clothing, he was recalled why there was an intruder at his front door. Not to mention why he was even able to sleep as long as he had. He'd taken a day off for a reason.

Today was the day he'd told all other appointments to go find their own information or seek out Arf instead so he could have a long overdue, proper date and heart-to-heart with the woman he loves. Of course, he'd been polite about it and not revealed any more information than was necessary. He needs to speak with Signum. He needs to clear away the confusion and unknowns surrounding them. There's only so much stumbling in the dark you can do before you fall off a cliff or run into a wall. If they stay mired in darkness, they won't get anywhere at all.

"I'm coming!" He volleyed back as he struggled with a shirt. The garment was one he'd simply grabbed without thinking and upon attempting to don it, he discovered it might be ready to toss out or donate to Hayate's collection of scrap cloth. To say it was a little tight would be an understatement, but at the moment, it was clothes. That's all he cared about right now.

Apparently, he wasn't coming fast enough for a certain brunette as her voice began to ring out once again. This time far louder. "When I was in 11th grade, Yuuno-!"

With great urgency, Yuuno threw open the door and greeted Nanoha with an irate smile and more false cheer than a used car salesman. "Good morning, Nanoha! How are you?" She merely gave him a shameless, self-satisfied smile in response. No remorse. None at all. Was her father to blame for this side of her, or was it her mother?

The sound of a restrained laugh drew the blond's attention to a figure he hadn't noticed, or expected to see in all honesty. "Good morning Yuuno. You look... well?" Fate's questioning greeting drew Yuuno's attention to where her gaze was drifting. His own eyes followed hers, soon followed by Nanoha's, to his shirt.

Well, there are certainly worse things to be found wearing than an inside-out, skin-tight shirt with what appeared to be a ferret on it. Yet another of Chrono's insufferable, yet too practical to toss out, gifts.

There was an awkward silence before Fate couldn't hold it in anymore and the absurdity of the situation finally sent her into a fit of giggles she simply couldn't stop.

It took a laughing Nanoha pushing the two blonds inside to diffuse what could have turned into a delightfully hilarious situation. Even though she would have loved to watch such a scene play out, the clock was against them and they had an evening to prepare for. One she refused to let fail.

Corralled into the dining room by a devil neither of the two blonds were willing or able to stand against at the moment, it was the same devil who managed to get conversation going again. Well, what conversation had existed to being with. "Good morning to you too, sleepyhead. Did you just crawl out of bed?" He must have, considering his long hair was an absolute mess and there were no signs of coffee to be found.

Yuuno nodded, slowly attempting to regain his full sense of awareness. Of course, Nanoha's rather loud arrival certainly helped to kick start his higher functions. "I didn't sleep well..." He ran a hand through his hair, grimacing as it got stuck in the mess. This was one such time he was not exactly fond of how long he kept his hair. "I'm going to make some coffee. Would either of you like some?"

"Yes, please." Fate's ever polite voice accompanied Nanoha's eager nod.

As Yuuno set about crafting the life-giving brew granted by the gods of java, Nanoha and Fate took a seat at the table. Nanoha stretched and popped a few of the joints in her shoulders as she did so before speaking up. "I bet you're wondering why I dragged poor Fate along, aren't you." Fate merely gave the other woman an amused look.

Yuuno nodded while going about his task. "I am pretty curious. I was expecting just you to show up." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at his blond friend. "Not that I don't mind. We don't usually get much of a chance to see each other outside of work."

Fate shook her head. "We don't, unfortunately. Attire aside, I'm glad to see you're doing well." She had to bite back a chuckle as Yuuno slumped in front of the coffee machine at her tease. "Nanoha has a bit of a... plan to add to your own. I was drafted to help out."

"I did not draft you! I just... enlisted your services for the greater good?" Nanoha seemed a little put out at Fate's explanation. It wasn't drafting! Really! Fate said she'd be glad to help when the request for assistance came.

"That's still considered drafting, Nanoha." Yuuno tried his best not to laugh. He really did.

"Some would even call it press-ganging." How Fate could say such damning things with such an angelic expression would forever remain beyond the understanding of all who knew her. If asked, she would simply smile in a manner far too reminiscent of a certain retired Admiral.

Nanoha slumped in her chair, faux hurt shown plainly on her face. "You two are evil, ganging up on me like that." She crossed her arms and pouted. "Am I going to have to start revealing certain secrets to ensure your mutual cooperation? Certain... habits~?"

Yuuno and Fate shared a look of worry before shaking their heads and acquiescing to the devil's words in a unified voice. "We'll be good!"

Nanoha merely chuckled and smiled impishly until the coffee was prepared and served. One shot of cream and one cube of sugar, just the way she liked it. Fate took hers with two shots of cream and four cubes of sugar. The blond woman's sweet tooth led Nanoha to wonder when Fate would start asking for some coffee with her sugar. Everyone who knew her could not help but notice just how quickly the buxom blond began to blossom into the curvaceous bombshell she had become after being introduced to sugar by her adoptive mother.

As usual, Yuuno took his coffee black. Not a single granule of sinful sugar nor drop of delicious cream would ever touch the caffeine-laden liquid he drank. Such a travesty was something she never understood, even after hearing how he'd gotten accustomed to drinking the brew in such a manner.

It was an affront to tastebuds everywhere.

Or so she firmly believed.

Yuuno on the other hand...

"...That's not coffee." He seemed to shudder as he spoke. Both women looked up at him in confusion as he gestured towards the so called beverage Fate was stirring. Yuuno swore it looked more like a slurry than a liquid. "That's just sugar with coffee in it."

Fate had the decency to look somewhat offended at the jab against her coffee-related preferences. "It is not. I just like my coffee with plenty of sugar is all." Her ruby eyes seemed to take on a defiant air. "What's wrong with that?" Very rarely did one see Fate T. Harlaown in such a state, but speaking against her preferences in anything involving sugar was a quick way to bear witness to it.

The blond man pointed at the light brown slush attempting to be a cup of coffee and spoke in an almost despairing tone. "You're ruining the natural flavor! Can you even taste the coffee anymore?"

Crossing her arms, Fate regarded Yuuno with an unamused expression. "I most certainly can." It just tastes like a lot of sugar and cream. Of course, she would never admit such a thing. She will have her coffee-flavored sugar and enjoy it! Much like how her mother enjoys adding milk to green tea.

Intervening, Nanoha had decided enough was enough. While the sight of Yuuno and Fate going back and forth on coffee preferences like a game of ping-pong was getting more and more hilarious by the moment, they did have work to do. "Alright you two, break it up. We have things to do you two arguing over coffee isn't going to make this night go off without a hitch. I think Signum would forgive me if I cooled your heads a bit~"

There was a certain gleam in her eyes that made both blonds freeze. They knew such a look was merely the first step towards experiencing the White Devil's... tender loving care.

Neither of them liked being blown up by pink magical death, thank you very much.

From there, Nanoha took charge and began handing out various duties for the two blonds to complete while she herself made the kitchen her domain. Neither Yuuno nor Fate were willing to challenge her rule. Granted they didn't feel the need to, but the brunette seemed to be in far too good a mood about everything regardless.

While the sounds of cleaning began to fill the house, Fate posed a question which had been on her mind for some time now. It hadn't exactly been burning a hole through her tongue, but given what she had been roped into, it had slowly begun to smolder. "Yuuno, may I ask you something?" He glanced over his shoulder and nodded, a curious look on his face. "What made you fall in love with Signum?"

Yuuno blinked at the rather blunt and personal query. He had no reason not to answer. Sure, he'd already been asked by Zwei what he found attractive about Signum, but no one had asked him why he'd fallen for the swordswoman. Until now, that is. "I don't mind telling you, but why do you want to know?"

Fate had the decency to blush at the returning question. She'd grown admittedly nosy over the years and her job merely enforced it via necessity. Being out of the loop didn't always sit well with her if she could help it, and matters of the heart always drew her attention more than most others. "I'm... curious." Her voice turned bashful. "I never expected you and Signum to see each other like that. I honestly expected you to fall for someone else."

A chuckle accompanied a slight thud as Yuuno set down a bundle of tomes. "You're not the only one to think that. Even I didn't expect it when this all started. And I'd bet anything that she didn't either." He continued talking as he set about sorting the bundle with Fate's assistance. "As for what... I'm not ever sure where to begin. She's powerful, beautiful, kind, stern, stubborn, driven, and... I could go on for hours."

"I suppose you could." Fate smiled as she spoke, beginning to put together a bit of a picture of the unexpected couple's feelings.

Yuuno's gaze took on a somewhat faraway look as he continued. "But I suppose one of the things I love most about her..." He paused and looked to Fate with more focused eyes as he realized what he had been about to say. "And please... don't take this the wrong way, but... it's that she's not artificial." The moment he said those words, a expression of sadness and hurt began to make it's way onto the blond woman's face. "Ah, I'm sorry. I... Let me clarify..."

Fate was an artificial existence. Her entire being was unnatural. She had been built from the ground up as a replacement for her sister. What's more, the young man whom she once viewed as a younger brother and now a son was also of similar origin. Even Vivio, her daughter in all but blood, was a crafted life.

It was no surprise that such a statement would be deeply hurtful to the blond woman.

He really ought to have found another word to describe his feelings.

Yet, he could not think of one suitable out of all the synonyms available.

He swallowed as he kept his eyes on his second childhood friend. "I meant Signum is, and always has been, Signum. Despite everything she's encountered, she's remained true to herself. To the core of her being. There's nothing about Signum that isn't Signum." He made a gesture towards Fate. "Just like how there's nothing about you that isn't you. Or nothing about Nanoha that isn't her." There was a pause as he tried to find the correct words. "Signum's just... more so than anyone I've ever known. If that makes sense."

The expression of hurt had turned into one of understanding as Yuuno spoke. She really shouldn't have reacted as she did. Yuuno never meant those words to be said in any sort of a hurtful manner. He even told her not to take them as such. Still, it was something rather personal for her, and she couldn't quite help having such a reaction. Especially when those words were being said by a close friend.

"Still..." Running his hand through his hair, Yuuno gave an apologetic look. "I should have tried to put it another way. I'm sorry."

Fate shook her head and set back to work with a small smile. "It's alright. I know you didn't mean it like that. And if you'd put it another way, you wouldn't have really answered my question, now would you." But his words did give her more of an insight onto Yuuno and how he had come to fall for the rosette. He's an archaeologist. The more artificial elements, the less like the original it was. To discover the true unadorned form of something is a key element of what he does. For Signum to be a living embodiment of it... It makes sense now, why he would be drawn to her.

A few minutes of contemplative silence passed as they fell back into a working routine. A silence finally broken by Yuuno. "...So who _did_ you expect me to finally choose as a lover?" He would admit to being rather curious who Fate thought would fill the gap after he and Nanoha had decided to end things.

She laughed awkwardly as she wiped down a table. "I imagined you would choose a Yagami. As for which one... I was expecting Hayate." She had at least guessed the family correctly. Shamal was a close second. Vita or Zwei... Well, it would have raised some uncomfortable questions even without the use of an Adult Mode. Zafira was written off owing to the issue of gender and species preference. Signum, being the devout knight, had only ranked slightly higher than Zafira in many minds. Including her own.

Yuuno's response to her admission was a choked laugh. He loved Hayate, he really did, but it was as a friend. A very perverted, demented, prank-prone friend. "She's always been a close friend to me, Fate. Nothing more. I don't think I'd survive if I saw her as anything more."

"I wonder who could then." Soon after, they were both laughing as they worked.

Progress was only brought to something of a halt when Nanoha had come to see what was so funny. Soon she was laughing as well. Though she did give Yuuno a playful smack on the arm for badmouthing the tanuki.

Things soon devolved from there and it was only the chime of Yuuno's clock that broke the amusing scene of cooking and cleaning filled with laughter and teasing.

Wiping tears of laughter from her eyes at a particularly hilarious and embarrassing tale she'd regaled Fate with, at Yuuno's expense of course, Nanoha gave a mirthful look at the man. "Zero hour approaches. I think you should suit up~" She pointed in the direction of the shower and gave a deliberate nod.

Yuuno managed to gather as much of his dignity as possible as he stalked towards his bedroom and from there his bathroom. "You're as bad as Hayate sometimes, you know that?"

Nanoha merely smiled and shoo'ed him off while Fate continued to try and stifle her laughter. When the shower was heard to be running, she turned back to the red faced blond who was still gasping for air. "Now, now, Fate. We can't have you passing out on us."

Fate choked back a breath of air as she tried to regain her composure. "S-Sorry. B-But-!" It took her a few moments more to finally get herself under control and no longer be set off by the remote sliver of a thought about the tales she'd been told. "Okay... Okay... I'm good now." Though the occasional snicker still passed her lips.

"I think I'll have to be more careful about which tales I tell you if you're going to go to pieces like that." Nanoha seemed all too amused at the total loss of composure in the normally-composed Fate. She could have some fun with this. Later. Right now, there were other things on their plates.

"Just warn me next time." Fate glanced in the direction where the sound of the shower was coming from, a smile on her lips. "I think... They'll be okay."

Nanoha nodded with a winning smile as she looked in the same direction. "They will. Without a doubt, they will."

There was a brief moment of calm and collected silence as the two women enjoyed their respective drinks. The only sound really breaking it was that of the shower running. And even so, it was a comfortable background noise.

Fate turned to Nanoha with a query on her lips. One she had not quite realized might be relevant until this moment. "By the way, I know what we're going to be wearing tonight. But what about Yuuno? He did pick something appropriate out, right?" It was a bit of a silly question, considering after all the time he and Nanoha had spent together. Surely he had picked up the idea on what to wear and what not to wear. However the knowledge of how it still takes Amy strong-arming Chrono into proper attire made her wonder.

The lack of an immediate answer, however, did not fill her with hope.

Neither did the frozen look on Nanoha's face.

"...Nanoha?" The tentative probe seemed to snap the brunette out of her trance as she suddenly stood up with a determined look on her face. "You don't know, do you?" She could only hope Yuuno had indeed put some thought into what he would wear. Otherwise the punishment handed down by Nanoha would... not be a pleasant one.

"I'll be right back." Nanoha's sweet smile nearly made Fate wince. It was the same one she wore whenever she had to cool a few heads on the training ground. Shamal usually had extra work on her hands afterwards when it was particularly bad. And the expression on Nanoha's face was one that would guarantee such extra work. As Nanoha stood, she turned to Fate and continued speaking in that same fearsome tone. "But would you do me a big favor and pick out a nice outfit for him? I doubt he chose anything worthwhile if he chose anything at all. Please~?"

Fate could offer no words or any sort of halting request as she watched her dearest friend march into Yuuno's room. All she could do was nod slowly in compliance.

At the very least, she prayed she wouldn't have to bear witness to whatever it was the white devil was about to do as she did what was asked of her.

Nanoha did not want to waste any time, they were working against the clock after all. And as such, she could not afford to play nice in ensuring Yuuno was looking his best for tonight. He would definitely _not_ be wearing his ever famous green suit. Sure, it looked good on him. Quite good as a matter of fact. But for the purposes of what could be the make-or-break for him and Signum? Absolutely not.

Without preamble, Nanoha opened the bathroom door and stormed inside. "Yuuno, I need to have a word with you~" Such melodious words carried a very obvious current of what could be either irritation or ire. It was hard to tell sometimes. She didn't even give him a chance to respond as she cast aside the shower curtain so she could speak with him face to face.

"Na-Nanoha!" Yuuno's shocked words were to be expected. It is not everyday someone simply barges in on you while bathing. "What are you doing?" He didn't exactly sound outraged at having been seen in the middle of a shower. More irate because of how abrupt and unexpected the intrusion had been. Not to mention the fact it would get water everywhere.

Crossing her arms with the same sickly sweet smile she'd entered the room with, she began tapping her arm as she spoke. "Yuuno, what are you wearing tonight?" And if he said he was wearing his green suit, she'd do something very unkind to him. Most likely involving the color pink and a great deal of pain. She wouldn't let him have the dignity of being clothed when she did it either.

This was not the most awkward conversation Yuuno had ever had, sadly or amusingly enough. He sighed and shook his head. "I've got a nice, dark grey one picked out for tonight. I even got a matching tie." Hopefully it would pass inspection from Nanoha. If not, then he was not looking forward to a good time in the immediate future.

Nanoha's eyebrow twitched. She knew exactly which suit Yuuno was talking about. The last time she'd seen him wear it was when both she and Fate had been on assignment and someone needed to take care of Vivio's teacher conferences. It didn't look bad, per se, but it was definitely not appropriate for a romantic evening. "Yuuno, I think you and I need to have a serious talk about what passes for acceptable when it comes to dressing up for a nice romantic date. You seem to have slipped in the time we've been apart~"

Yuuno did not like the look in Nanoha's eyes. No, he definitely did not. He didn't even need his glasses to see such a look. And unfortunately, there was only so far he could back up while in the shower. "But it's a nice suit. It looks good, formal but not too formal. What's wrong with it?" His back hit the warm tile wall of his shower after only a step and a half and he felt dread was over him.

"Muu... You really have slipped, haven't you? That's it, I'm taking over! We don't have all day and I apparently need to reeducate you." Without any other sort of warning, she began stripping down to her undergarments. Simple blue cotton were one capable of making a more keen observation, which many wouldn't. And Yuuno could only see they were blue. But despite having a change of clothes ready, she didn't want to soak everything through when she stepped into the shower. And wearing your clothes in one is just silly. Plus, she didn't need a shower, so there was no need to strip down completely.

"Nanoha! Stop it, I can wash myself. Ow!" The blonde man didn't really have much of a say in the matter as Nanoha stepped into the shower with not a trace of hesitation and grabbed his hair. None too gently either. It seemed she wouldn't be listening to whatever sort of reason he could put forth. Granted, Nanoha wasn't exactly the most reasonable of people, especially when she was determined. You would have a better chance of convincing water to stop being wet than dissuading this woman.

Not taking the time to enjoy the feeling of the nice, hot water, Nanoha set to work on washing Yuuno's hair. Despite moving at a brisk pace, she still took a considerable amount of care in doing so. It spoke of a great familiarity with the action. True, she was quite familiar with washing long hair aside from her own, Vivio and Fate's being two more obvious examples, but she had done the action for Yuuno quite often when he'd grown his hair out.

Yuuno sighed and decided there would be no convincing the woman otherwise once she started her work. He managed to stop Nanoha long enough so he could sit down on the floor of the shower. It wasn't exactly comfortable to stand in an awkward position to allow a shorter person better access to your head. Taking a washcloth and soap in hand, he began trying to wash the rest of himself. "So why exactly isn't the grey suit a good idea?"

"Because it looks way too stuffy given the mood tonight. And I think the last time you wore it was for one of those archaeological ball things. Now close your eyes." Nanoha waited a moment for Yuuno to do so before reaching up to pull the shower-head free and rinse away the lather in the blond's hair. He didn't have nearly as much as herself, much less Fate, so it was of little surprise how quickly she had finished.

Looking back, she had long since figured just how much they'd relied on momentum and the raging hormones of youth to keep themselves going. Oh, she would never regret a moment of those years they'd had together, but it would have been nice for it to not have come to an end. Well, they do say you live and learn, and right now she was quite happy where she was. There was no doubt she'd get the same answer from Yuuno if she asked him.

They simply knew each other that well.

Both of them had been around thirteen when they'd confessed to one another. It had been one of the happiest and most embarrassing moments in her life. Not only because of the obvious elements of being young and in love and confessing to the person you'd fallen for. With such a young and inexperienced mind to boot. But there had also been the extra bit of Kyouya hiding in the bushes with Miyuki and Fate trying to get the whole confession on tape. She had not been amused.

Well, neither had Yuuno, but he hadn't tried to chase down the three and inflict magical doom upon them. He had been the one to talk her down from using Starlight Breaker though. He was rather good at it too. It was probably the reason she hadn't devolved into blowing up absolutely everything that made her blush red as a tomato and lose her cool in a rather spectacular manner. It would have made things in the bedroom rather different to say the least.

What had followed was a storm of awkward teenage years, hormones, enjoying life to the fullest, and the unfortunate truth of not really knowing what they were doing. The last bit had been their downfall owing to a little detail Yuuno was absolutely determined to not fall prey to again. And one she wouldn't either when the time came for her. Of course, she'd at least have a better fashion sense about it.

Yuuno let his head hang as he scrubbed his arms while Nanoha set to his back. "It was the Unified Archaeological Society's Charity Ball. Fate got you to help run security there, and you both said I looked good." Aside from such a small defense, though, there was little he could offer in the way of protecting his choice of attire for the evening. Not without going into silly arguments which would go absolutely nowhere. Hence, he made the smart choice of picking his battles. "What did you have in mind?"

"Mhm~ You're picking up rather quickly. And you'll see." There was an unsettling and playful gleam in her eyes that Yuuno didn't see. Had he, he might have simply fled. However the tone of her voice certainly set him on edge. "But we have to hurry or you'll be late. Now then~"

In the bedroom itself, Fate could only shake her head as she overheard the conversation happening in the bathroom. It instilled in her a rather melancholy feeling. If anyone were to listen to those two, she doubted they would think they had ever broken up. In fact, she was rather certain some would think they had a few years of marriage under their belts. But sadly it was not so. If only they had not gone about things with the gusto and folly of youth, they'd likely be wed by now. Not to mention, Vivio would have a father and quite likely a sibling or two.

But right now, those were only what-if's. As she dug around in Yuuno's closet for something appropriate, she recalled the saying 'hindsight is twenty-twenty'. If those two knew then what they knew now then things would have turned out very differently. But then again, maybe they wouldn't have. Fate could only go so far with theories before they became nonsensical ramblings, and she had enough of those from guilty suspects desperately trying to convince their captors of their innocence in the face of hard evidence.

Fate pulled out a sharp looking forest green shirt and eyed it critically, comparing it to other options she'd seen. It would look good. The question was what with. She simply had to keep looking.

As for looking, she prayed Yuuno and Signum wouldn't have to look anywhere but at each other after tonight. That they would be happy together and not suffer heartbreak. No matter what anyone says about her, Fate is a romantic at heart. It's one of the reasons she's helping out with everything. No matter her melancholy, she felt more than joyous to help the new couple along.

Now if only she could find a good pair of pants to go with the shirt...

* * *

><p>Approximately three days ago, Yagami Hayate had returned home from her very unplanned vacation. This does, of course, assume one considers a vacation filled with grueling physical exertion, near mental breakdown, horrible food, and a drill sergeant who seemed to be attempting some sort of world record for loudness a vacation. She would not consider it as such.<p>

She would consider Carim's boot camp to be a horrifying sin against humanity. She would also consider her darling Signum to be in a world of trouble were she not absolutely fine with the results of the unforgiving training.

Hayate had never felt so fit and, in her most agreeable words, sexy in her life.

She had told her Knight of the Sword as such over her welcome home dinner.

Of course, being able to stand up to at least ten Caro's worth of power was also a very nice bonus as well, assuming Vita's measurement of physical prowess was of any validity. She considered this the bonus given just how good she felt at the realization of what the training had done for her.

That she was on her way to getting abs nearly put stars in her eyes. _Abs! _

The fact she had lost bust size, however... it added conflicting feelings. She was unsure whether she would hug Carim for all the benefits of training or blow her up for having been a major instrument in the loss of such precious bosom.

At the moment, though, rather than admire her new physique and lament at just how many of her costumes wouldn't fit anymore, she had a mission. A mission involving certain little details about what had transpired in her absence. Details involving a librarian and her little girl.

Hayate is the sort of woman to ignore the fact her little girl is centuries old, a warrior nearly without peer, and neither technically human or her daughter.

She is also the sort of woman who would tell someone concerned about those details to go do something sexually explicit with themselves.

And if it so happens the one concerned about it ends up being the woman in question, well... She can find ways to drill some sense into her brain. Unless someone takes care of it first.

Signum is family, and that's all Yagami Hayate cares about.

Right now, Hayate's task is to help Signum get ready for her big night with Yuuno, all the while ensuring she gets as many juicy details as possible. Along with whatever little chats and warnings they might need to have. Plus the teasing. The day she cannot bring a full-body blush to at least one of her beloved knights is the day she swears off cosplay and her most favored hobby of groping.

Clad in her ever-comfortable lounging shorts and ribbed sweater combination with a rather special box under one arm, Hayate knocked on Signum's door whilst making her entrance. "Signum, your Mistress has arrived~" Oh how she missed doing the Mistress routine. She'd had no chance to use it at boot camp, a fact which brought much relief to Carim.

What the brunette saw nearly took her breath away, and in a very good way.

Well, one might also consider it dangerous, given how her fingers had begun to undulate disturbingly.

Signum had opted for a shower rather than luxuriate in the family bath and run the risk of being late. Which would explain why there had been no opportunity for Hayate to get in some proper one-on-one skinship with the knight. And she'd been too happy to be home to really corner Signum and get all the dirty bits she'd missed when the ladies of the Yagami household had taken a bath last night.

It took a great amount of effort to not jump Signum where she sat. For with skin flushed from the hot water, hair unbound and still wet, and wearing only a towel, she painted an image that would have made even a saint hot under the collar. Hayate, it so happened, was far more devilish than even the most depraved saint. What nearly broke the brunette's resolve was when her knight turned those crystal blue eyes towards her, eyes filled with a tiny hesitation. A slight vulnerability she could so easily take advantage of to make up for so much lost groping.

Signum smiled and chuckled uneasily. She knew the look in Hayate's eyes. It was a dangerous look. One she could not really entertain at the moment. "While I am glad to see yet more evidence you are still yourself, I will request that you restrain your... urges." She really didn't want to have to take another shower after getting riled up by her Mistress. A part of her was rather curious about the box, nondescript and lavender in color, Hayate had brought with her, but it seemed she would not have the chance to ask as Hayate spoke up before she could do so.

Hayate pouted and crossed her arms after setting the box down on Signum's bed. "Not even a little bit? Please?" A shake of the head shot her down for now. Well, there's always next time. Or a properly timed opening. "Well... drat." She walked over to the small vanity where Signum was sitting and picked up a brush. "We have other things to do besides me getting an update on just how my lovely knight of the sword's body is doing~"

There was a nod as Signum straightened her back, and fanned out her rosette locks to make it easier for Hayate to brush. The slightest tinge of pink not borne of heat from the shower graced her cheeks. "I do thank you for this." She would admit having her Mistress brush her hair was an immensely guilty pleasure. So would Vita, but you didn't need admittance to see just how much the redhead enjoyed it. Or herself, if she were being perfectly honest.

"No thanks needed. I like doing this." Her amicable tone was both mischievous and motherly. Oh, how she wished to simply dive straight into the delectable meat. "Do you have something picked out to wear? That dress Shamal gave you a few years ago, maybe? Though it's been so long... I'm not sure if the bust will be big enough anymore..." Of course, she already knew it wouldn't be. Hence the phone call she had made in secret after finding out about the little date.

"It should fit. It is not the sort of dress you need an exact shape to fit in, fortunately." Shamal had gifted her the garment as a birthday gift not long after the dissolution of Riot Force 6 in the hopes of nudging her along in finding someone to wear it for. It did not have the desired effect. "I doubt she realized it would take this long for me to wear it." She remained silent after those words for while, allowing herself to enjoy the pleasant feeling of having her hair brushed. A part of her wondered if Yuuno would enjoy the feeling as well, or if his skill with a brush was comparable to Hayate's.

Unseen by Signum, Hayate's grin turned into one not dissimilar from a shark's. There was blood in the water, and she was hungry. No, starving. "Speaking of which~" She very nearly giggled dementedly when Signum appeared to flinch. "This date I'm helping you prepare for. Who would have thought those hot and steamy sparring sessions would turn into this~"

Signum swallowed audibly. "I... That is... Neither of us planned for it to happen. But neither are we... complaining about what has come of it. Tonight we plan to see where we really stand and where we want to go." If they didn't... Well, she would rather not imagine what sort of disaster could befall them by stumbling about.

"My little girl is growing up, it seems~" Hayate's voice was filled with approval as she continued her work on lock after lock of pink hued hair.

"Hayate... I..." There was a pause as Signum tried to find the right words. Normally it would be simple to come out and speak with her Mistress about anything. But this topic was... not the normal sort. Nor was the theme one that would not likely provoke a rather perverse reaction. "I was wondering why you did not say anything last night when Vita informed you about what had transpired between Yuuno and I."

Hayate blinked before chuckling. Fortunately for Signum's nerves, it was not one completely devoid of moral fiber. "Why I didn't say anything about Yuuno sheathing his sword? About you two breaking beds? About getting a hot beef injection? About shatteri-"

"Hayate!" Signum's horribly embarrassed and outraged cry cut the brunette short of what was bound to be yet another horribly crude metaphor of what she and Yuuno had done.

"Hahaha! Okay, I'll stop." Though despite her words, a giggle occasionally swept past her lips. "But Vita sure has a mouth on her, doesn't she? As for why I didn't say anything about Yuuno stealing my precious knight's purity," she stopped brushing for a moment and placed her hands on Signum's shoulders, "I trust you, I trust Yuuno, and the only reason I'm not marching over to his place right now to deliver the obligatory speech of 'Make her cry and I'll nuke you from orbit' is because there'd be no point. From what I've been told, Zwei and Nanoha already did that for me~"

Signum released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Thank you... I was worried about what you would say about this." Out of everyone in the family, Hayate's word would always be the most important to her. There was never any doubt of that. She'll have to be sure to let Yuuno know of Hayate's words as well tonight.

"Just so long as you're happy, I am completely fine with whomever you choose to love. Yuuno's a good man, and cute too. He's not a bad choice. And I'd say he's the luckiest guy ever to have the lovely General of Fire fall for him~" She ended her words with a teasing lilt to her voice. A teasing lilt which gave Signum only the barest of warnings. "In more ways than one~"

Hayate's self control had finally reached the breaking point and the hands which once rested upon Signum's shoulders snaked their way down, past the meager defenses of the cotton towel, and firmly grasped Signum's ample chest. The knight could only squeak as she turned completely red at the sudden assault.

"Oh ho~ This size. This firmness! Yuuno is a lucky man indeed to have seen and felt these wonders so intimately! I'm jealous. So very jealous!" And so the teasing commenced in full force.

It would be no fewer than ten minutes before Signum managed to free herself from the depraved and deprived beast her beloved Lady Hayate had become.

"Haa... Haa... I thought I requested you restrain yourself...?" Signum's glare was filled with the sort of resignation found in the eyes of a person who realized she should not have held onto such a foolish hope. Hayate's skinship was not to be denied. Though she wished it could have been put off to a later time.

Hayate merely laughed jovially, a satisfied expression on her face. "Sorry. Sorry." There is much debate on whether or not she actually was sorry for the numerous assaults attributed to her name and wandering hands. "I couldn't help myself any longer." Well, she could have, but then she wouldn't be Hayate.

Signum sighed as she stood, not bothering to retrieve the towel. Then again, she wasn't even sure where the article had been hurled, so it was a moot point. "Truly, my Mistress is a fearsome woman." There was no bite in her words, only an honest and affectionate truth. A truth, despite it's embarrassing results, she had come to love and appreciate as a part of Hayate.

"So, what's on the itinerary for tonight's date if you don't mind my prying~?" She was genuinely curious as to what sort of evening would lay in store for Signum. Assuming Yuuno wasn't planning to surprise her. Surprises were good and all, but she didn't really think the mood surrounding the knight was suitable for one.

"I do not mind." Signum walked over to her dresser with the intention of choosing undergarments as she spoke. "We will be having dinner. Yuuno did not say where, only that the dress code would be semi-formal. We will also be having a... talk." One they should have had a while ago. But given their stubbornness and ignorance about certain things, she was not sure just how such a talk could have happened sooner.

The pause before mentioning a 'talk' sent off warning bells in Hayate's mind. The analytical and motherly portions of her mind kicked into a higher gear as she considered what sort of meanings could lay behind such a pause. "A talk?" It must have showed in her voice, as Signum quickly turned and waved her hands disarmingly with a reassuring expression on her face. The image was made slightly humorous, considering she was holding a pair of panties in one hand.

Slipping on the chosen underwear and turning back to reach for a bra, she clarified. "It is something we should have done a while ago. Both of us jumped into this... very suddenly and without really thinking about the consequences of our actions." She set her crystal gaze upon Hayate's as reassurance became seriousness. "We need to see where we are and where we want to go. If we do not, then there is... no hope at all for us to have anything beyond that one night. And I do not wish for us to have just that." No. She wants more. So much more. It is simply a matter of discerning just what that 'more' consists of and how she can obtain it with Yuuno.

Signum paused as she realized she was trying to hold a serious discussion whilst putting on her undergarments. It was not exactly an image she found amusing, no matter what Hayate might think of it, and the grin on her Mistress' face certainly said she found it to be quite so.

"Hmm~" The expression on Hayate's face became one comparable to a mother gazing upon her daughter as her girl went back to dressing herself. She did allow a mental chuckle as she thought of how that poor bra would see no action tonight. Neither would the panties, for that matter. But still, she could not be more proud of her precious Signum. Her daughter who had just realized some great truth of the universe and was stepping into a larger, far more rewarding world. "It seems my precious Signum grew up a lot when I wasn't looking. I wonder how long it'll be before I have to give you away." The smile upon her face was broad and sunny. There was no melancholy there, for she could not ever be sad about such a development.

"Hayate, you know that whatever the future may hold, I will always be by your side." Despite the fact she was clad only in a simple set of cream-colored, cotton undergarments, the words were potent enough it wouldn't have mattered whether they had been spoken in full armor or completely nude. A blush adored her face as she scratched her cheek. "Just... I hope there will be a certain scholar by my side as well when the time comes."

Hayate chuckled. Her knight certainly knows what she wants, doesn't she. "When it comes to that, you'll have my full blessing. I just hope Yuuno doesn't mind his beloved Signum still having some skinship with her Mistress~"

Signum groaned as she reached up and placed her palm upon her face. "I believe he has already accepted such an inevitability." There was no escaping Yagami Hayate. None whatsoever.

"Then he's a wise, wise man~" Hayate's shark-like grin did not set Signum's heart at ease. Then again, it wasn't really supposed to. She approached Signum with a gaze that had turned into an incredibly calculating one. "Now then... Time for Lady Hayate to intervene on behalf of her beloved knight. I have a question for you: Are you going on a nice, romantic date with your hunk of a boyfriend, or are you meeting at a diner with a guy you might like?"

It took a few moments for Signum to process the fact Hayate had, likely intentionally, referred to Yuuno as a 'hunk'. The mental image provided did not quite mesh with her image of the librarian, but was not unpleasant either. "The former. Why? Is there something wrong?" She glanced down at her undergarments and saw no problems. Hayate had not voiced any complaints about her choice of wearing the gifted dress either, so she could hardly imagine it had to do with her clothes.

Hayate shook her head, fighting the ever-growing urge to smile wickedly as the butterfly began to drift into the spider's web. "No, no. Don't worry too much about it. I'm just wondering why you decided to go with the clothes you did." She had an idea. Well, it was more like she knew Signum better than most anyone alive. Her knight knew she had a dress than looked quite nice and would likely be an excellent choice for what would hopefully be a nice, romantic evening. Therefore, she would use it and try to look her best. And choosing a bra and panties combination that worked with the dress and was also comfortable without looking too casual would also factor into her thought process. In some ways, her knights were far too predictable.

Signum nodded in understanding. "It is a nice dress and one I think would suit the evening well. It is not too flashy, but not casual enough to be unsuited for this." A pointed look from Hayate towards her undergarments brought a slight blush to her cheeks. "In the event the date reaches a more... intimate end, I believe something like this would be appropriate." As she walked over to a hook on the wall where she had hung the dress in question, she continued. "And these are the best undergarments I have for such an event."

A raised eyebrow was the only response from Hayate. She was glad she'd taken the action she had. It was pretty much a given Signum didn't own anything of an intentionally provocative nature, but this was just a little ridiculous. The brunette could have sworn there was at least something she'd bought for the rosette which would fit the bill some time ago. She wouldn't be Hayate if she hadn't. Regardless, Signum seemed to think this was the best choice. It was a pity. There would be much education in the knight's immediate future.

Education which would begin shortly if the look on Signum's face was any indication.

She had donned the dress in all it's splendor. It was actually quite a pretty article and suited her very well. A dark lavender colored cloth which seemed to be made of a dense cotton if Hayate's eyes did not fail her. Likely there was a matching petticoat to go with it, but there was a slight problem Signum seemed to be having. One the Mistress of the Tome of the Night Sky had known about for some time, but only had reason to really take into serious consideration recently.

It would seem the lovely dress would never have a chance to fulfill it's duty. Not without alterations which would take far more time than Signum had available to her at the moment.

Said knight turned to Hayate with what appeared to be a growing panic in her eyes. "Ah... L-Lady Hayate..." She must be truly worried to use the 'Lady' title at the moment.

Shamal's gift had gone far too long without being worn, for since then, Signum had most obviously grown out of it. The hips were too tight. There was no way she would ever get the zipper in the back all the way up. The bottom seemed a little higher up than she thought it would be. Most notably, while not exactly bursting from their confines, it was quite obvious her bust could no longer be bound by such meager holdings. Not without relieving Signum of her ability to breathe in any comfortable manner. All told, it made for a very stiff and uncomfortable dress.

"It seems that you have a small problem." Yes, she would state the obvious before finally ensnaring the lovely knight in her web and biting into her dinner. A part of her mind was cackling quite evilly at the sight before her. Yes! Panic and wail at the fact your nice clothing doesn't fit anymore! I shall have my petty revenge before I swoop in and save your delectable backside from the fire. She carefully hid that part from her hapless knight.

Signum was beginning to succumb to genuine panic as she gave up trying to force the zipper to move. It would only break the poor device at this rate, or end up suffocating her. Such an oversight. How could she have been so foolish as to think her body would not have grown and changed over the years with all her training and work? Seeing Hayate's new, far more fit form should have been a blatantly obvious reminder, but no, she'd never thought to consider it. Now she was paying the price. She began to pace, the ill fitting dress hanging off her in an awkward manner. "...What should I do? I cannot wear this. Not as it is."

"Well, I don't think I need to say your Knight's Armor and casual clothes are out." It was yet more of the obvious to drive Signum into the corner she wanted the woman in. For a date of this magnitude, it was not only inappropriate, but Signum's pride would never allow it. Hayate just had to push a few more buttons as the knight continued pacing with her hand on the back of her neck and a mild expression of panic on her face. "What about something of Shamal's? That might fit." Somewhat. Shamal's measurements were just different enough to make swapping clothes uncomfortable to wear and awkward to see. The fact Shamal, as Signum's primary physician, definitely knew the dress wouldn't fit, but said nothing about it, led Hayate to believe the blonde had her own little plot in mind as well. Too bad she'd acted first~

"I cannot. I already owe her a great deal as it is." Not making a spectacle of things or teasing the living daylights out of her after discovering what had happened on the excavation had racked up a considerable debt for the swordswoman. She could not afford to add any more to it. If she did, she may very well end up being owned by the healer for the rest of her days. It was... not something she was willing to consider.

"Ah, then what will you do? You're running out of time, and it seems those're the only options you've got. Shamal, or a dress that obviously doesn't fit. And you know that Shamal's clothes won't fit you very well either." Just a bit further. Just a bit further and this Lady Hayate will get to have her ever so fun revenge.

Signum ran a hand through her hair as she began looking between her closet, her ill-fitting dress, and her mistress. No matter what possible solution came to her, none were suitable to her. Each involved either a horribly inappropriate attire for the date, a terrible blow to her pride, ever more debt to Shamal, or some combination of all three. "I do not know. I truly am at a loss. None of my options are appealing in any way. But most of all, I do not wish to show up in something so... inappropriate. Not tonight. Most assuredly not tonight."

Oh, her dangerously lovely Signum was truly a treat. A treat she so loved to torment and tease in so many ways. But now, now was the time to strike. "Ahh... I can't take it anymore. It's just no good. Off with it! Your Mistress demands that you strip!" Rather than wait for Signum to do so and go from there, she marched over to the bed and placed her hand upon the box she had brought with her in a dramatic fashion. Perhaps she was enjoying this a little too much?

... Nah.

Signum herself was too gobsmacked to offer up any sort of argument, or even comply with the order, and simply stared at the sudden shift in her Mistress' demeanor. "Hayate, what is-?" She was cut off as Hayate hurled the box's lid off to the side and held up two articles. Two very, very dangerous articles. One was a pair of red lace panties. The other was a dress. A dress of red silk which seemed to be embroidered with some manner of golden-hued pattern. "Th-Those are..."

"Fufufu~ Your Lady Hayate was hoping she wouldn't need to give you this little present so soon. But it seems like I don't have a choice. I don't want my beloved knight to have her evening ruined by something like clothes. So I took the liberty of placing a little order~" She had every intention of stuffing Signum into the articles in her hands since walking through the door, but making the knight wear it of her own accord, even if it involved dubious means, was just so much more fun.

The panic melted from Signum's face as she beheld the now revealed articles from the box of unknown origin. Taking it's place was a an expression somewhere between shock and embarrassment. "You... When did you get those? And you... want me to wear them?" The tone she used was perfectly flat, as if unable to entertain the notion of wearing such undergarments. Her crimson cheeks and wide, doe-like eyes, however, were quite indicative of the thoughts which lay just below the surface.

Where had she even gotten those? Wait, is the where even important at this point? Hayate obviously acquired them through some means. No nevermind the where, how about the what? Could such a piece of cloth even be considered clothing? For underwear it was outrageous. Some parts even looked as though she could see through them. Forget being borderline indecent, it practically flew over the line into outright shameless!

Sure, she'd worn some rather scandalous attire before, all at the hands of her perverse Mistress. She could quite vividly recall some outfits that would have gotten her arrested in very short order if she had even taken a single step outside. Yet the idea of wearing undergarments such as these for such an important event... It was embarrassing. So very embarrassing!

And that's just the panties.

...Panties she now notices have no matching bra.

"It's your battle gear! Going to such an important date with such casual underwear is simply begging for defeat. A woman must always wear the proper gear for a date. And for an evening like this, you have to go with the sexy. The sexier, the better!" Let it not be said that Hayate does not learn a great deal through her misadventures in molestation and spying on her subordinates. "How can you possibly have a romantic evening full of a true love-love atmosphere if you don't have the right support?"

The look on Signum's face told Hayate she was at least comprehending those words.

It was a start.

"And the dress!" Signum would not be given a choice it seems. Granted, she never had one to begin with. Such was the illusion of choice granted by her Mistress. Hayate wasted no time in unfolding the dress for Signum to see. It was... astounding. Yes, her overwhelmed mind could definitely accept astounding as an explanation for the garment she would be forced to wear tonight. "And the best part is that it has plenty of support, so you don't need to bother with a bra. No matter how sexy a matching bra to these panties might be~"

"N-No bra?" Signum's mouth seemed to have regained the ability to function, however higher mental functions still appeared to be impaired. Her face flushed a bright red at the notion. It almost matched the color of the dress. "B-B-But-!"

Hayate would not be dissuaded and shook her head violently. "No! Absolutely not. For this dress you can't wear a bra. It'll completely ruin the look! And for that matter!" She thrust her finger out to the stunned and embarrassed knight. "After all you two have done together, how can you be embarrassed by something like this? If you can't go without a bra for a sexy, important date like this, then I have not raised you properly! I will not have my beloved Signum lose the man of her dreams because she can't work up the courage to wear something daring and dangerous!"

Signum felt herself backing up as her Mistress began advancing on her with a very dangerous gleam in her eyes, panties and dress in hand. "H-Hayate?" She could not really deny Hayate's words. The sensible ones, at least. Not in any sensible manner which did not spit upon her feelings regarding what she and Yuuno were. But it did not make Hayate any less a frightening existence at the moment. "Please calm down and be reasonable. Hayate?"

There was a dangerous gleam in Hayate's eyes as she cornered the rosette, her mind given in to the madness which was part of the core of her existence. "Yes, this is definitely the only path. Fiery and sexy, just the thing for the General of Fire. And it goes so well with your hair. Ahh... You're going to be an absolute killer tonight~"

Unfortunately for Signum, the remainder of the intervention and impromptu education would employ very few of her own opinions.

Or free will.

"Hayate, please! Wait, I can-! Ah!"

* * *

><p>Yuuno had been on pins and needles for at least the past hour now, much to the mild amusement of the other two occupants of the house. But who could really blame him? When Arf's message had come through saying she was on her way with "An incredibly amazing delivery" he knew the moment of truth was truly approaching. Nanoha had threatened to bind him when he'd started to pace and he was smart enough to obey. So here he sat, trying to keep his head cool while waiting for Signum to arrive. Signum. The General of Fire whom he'd so utterly fallen for. Tonight would be the end of what little they had or the beginning of a great deal more.<p>

He very nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard the engine of a car come to a stop outside his home. The opening and shutting of doors. Should he really be hearing things so acutely? Finally came three staccato knocks on the door. With a slight stiffness in his movements, he stood and shook his head. No. He's got to keep himself focused. He must. "Coming!" Straightening his garments, he went to the front door and took a deep breath before opening it. And he nearly had his breath stolen away from him as he beheld Signum.

She was clad in a dress. But not just any dress. It was red. A crimson hue that seemed beyond comprehension. Along the edges was a pattern of gold which traced itself into the shape of what could have been either flowers or flame. There was a slit running up one side which showed off a great amount of her shapely leg with even the barest hint of movement. He'd seen her legs before in various states of dress, but this was simply breathtaking. The top half hugged her torso dangerously, giving no illusion to the form beneath it and proudly displaying Signum's ample cleavage. Lacking sleeves or straps of any sort, her shoulders were left bare to show the defined muscle prominently. There were no gloves to the ensemble, allowing him to see all of her powerful arms. He noted her fingernails had been painted the same color as the lipstick she was wearing, a bright red matching the dress. And her long rosette locks no longer fell about her face or were bound up in her signature ponytail. No, now they were piled atop the back of her head in a beautiful arrangement while what was not bound was left to sway gently with every action she took. His throat went dry as he looked into Signum's crystal blue eyes "I… You… You look amazing Signum. Just… wow." He blinked to try and regain his senses and welcomed her to enter his home. "C-Come inside, please."

Signum found herself blushing heavily at Yuuno's reaction, unsure how exactly to respond. Well, that wasn't quite right. She knew how to respond. It was just the sheer weight of all that was occurring, piled up onto the abuse she'd suffered at the hands of her Lady as she sought her revenge had left her wits somewhat frayed, so it took a moment for her to muster up the proper response. "Ah... thank you." She turned to nod goodbye to Arf, she'd thanked her for the ride itself on the journey over, and stepped inside. As she did so, she took that moment to better take in Yuuno's attire while he closed the door. The suit was well-tailored and complimented his form well. Subtle and understated, it did not consciously draw attention to itself, as evidenced by her not taking immediate notice of it upon first seeing Yuuno.

It contrasted well with her own attire, hand-picked as it was by Hayate to entice and tantalize, drawing attention to every curve of her body. Once again, she lamented Hayate's perversity, especially given the additional groping which had been inflicted upon her as the dress was put on her frame. She was convinced half the reason Hayate had chosen this particular design was because it provided an excuse to leave her ample chest unbound and unprotected from greedy eyes and hands. Regardless of the intention, the effect was obvious, if Yuuno's slack-jawed reaction was any indication. Not only that, but she could swear she felt eyes not belonging to him on her as she entered the house, but that could easily have been her own nervous mind playing tricks on her. Or it could have just been Arf, and her nerves were getting the better of her.

Shifting slightly on her feet, she attempted to think of something to say so the awkward silence could be broken. "You look quite good yourself." Standing there nervously without anything to say, she took in her surroundings, noting the place seemed to be much cleaner than it had been during the brief visit she'd paid this location some time ago. Kaiser, had it really been that long since she had begun this journey with Yuuno which had led them to where they were now? The thought was a humbling one, as it brought to mind everything that had led up to this moment and what the two of them were hoping to accomplish this eve. Well, what she was hoping to accomplish, at least. A low rumble of thunder which made itself known in the distance was oddly helpful in calming her nerves, and it brought her out of her musings. Clearing her throat, she attempted to move things along when it appeared Yuuno was unable to find a means to do so himself. "What did you have planned for us?"

Yuuno found himself himself unable to drive off the reddening of his own cheeks. Not only at the complement paid to him, but also at the fact he'd been quite obviously so taken by Signum's appearance he'd nearly forgotten why they were even having this date. But he was quite glad Signum approved of his garments. He'd really have to thank Fate for choosing what she had. "…Thank you." Clearing his throat, he offered to escort Signum with a wave of his hand and the crooking of his arm. "I was thinking of having dinner first and them… we could talk." There was a notable pause in his words as Signum allowed herself to be escorted. So much needed to be discussed, no matter how many or how few words it took. And with their futures riding on it, he wasn't exactly sure what to think. All he could do was have hope. He escorted the rosette to the dining room. A room which had undergone a great change during the day. Where there was once errant tomes, the occasional coffee cup, and other myriad objects atop a decently sized table was now a much smaller table. A table fit for two to sit at comfortably and adorned with a well pressed red tablecloth. In the center stood a pair of candlesticks with white candles burning brightly. Doing as he believed a gentleman ought to, he led Signum to her chair and pulled it out for her to sit down. "I hope you don't mind, but I already ordered for us." He smiled as he noted a slight movement from the direction of the kitchen. "But our waiter can bring you whatever you'd like to drink."

Signum watched as Yuuno pulled out her chair for her and helped her sit down, she couldn't help but smile wryly and look up at him as she sat down, a bit more confidence returning to her. "I am perfectly capable of sitting down." The amusement in her voice was obvious, but when a movement off to the side caught her attention, she quickly directed her gaze towards the source. What she saw caused her eyes to widen and lips to form an "o" shape from the sheer shock of it. "T-Testarossa?" An incredibly well-dressed Fate was approaching them with a teasing smile upon her usually demure expression. Recalling Yuuno's comment about their waiter, she quickly got ahold of the situation and recovered her wits. Though she was still at an obvious loss for words. "I... was not expecting such... hospitality, Yuuno."

Yuuno scratched his cheek in a somewhat bashful manner as Fate came to stand by the table, the candlelight illuminating her state of dress more clearly. She would not have looked out of place in nearly any restaurant no less than five stars. It was quite amazing at just how well the Enforcer could pull off the waiter look. "I wanted this date to really be something and I didn't want to screw things up, so… I got some help." As he moved over to take his own seat, a small chuckle escaped his lips. Help was a bit of an understatement. This evening would have been doomed from the start without such assistance. "I just hope it meets your approval."

Fate smiled lightly as she bowed to Signum and then to Yuuno, intent on filling her role to the fullest. But not without having a little fun at the knight's expense. Seeing Signum so flustered was a sight she doubted she'd get to see often. In fact, this is the first time she's seen her lose her composure so. "I'll be your server tonight. As the gentleman said, dinner has been ordered ahead of time and will consist of a meat lasagna and stuffed cheese ravioli. Fresh garlic bread is available if you would like to partake of it." She swept her ruby eyes over the two lovers with a smile and continued, making sure to pay particular attention to Signum. "And what may I get for you to drink, my lady? I would recommend a red wine with the meal." She just might be having too much fun with this.

Red wine did go well with pasta, Signum did have to admit. And it seemed more than appropriate given the atmosphere of the evening. One did learn quite a few things about dining when your Mistress was some manner of omnipotent entity in the kitchen, crafting all manner of dishes she and the rest of the family were often hard-pressed to guess where she had learned how to make. "The red wine will be fine, thank you." She had to resist the urge to raise an eyebrow at the twinkle that appeared in Fate's eyes.

Yes, definitely too much fun. She only hoped Signum's reaction to the meal was just as amusing. Fate gave a bow of acknowledgement and turned to Yuuno. "As you wish. And for the gentleman?"

"I'll have the same, please." If nothing else, Yuuno was certain the wine he'd bought for the evening would be more than suitable. Chrono was... something of a connoisseur. Well, to put it nicely. His old friend might be two steps from being willing to swim in a wine barrel at times, but he made sure to imbibe of quality brew as well. The icy admiral would never allow mediocre drink past his lips, much less rotgut.

Lessons of drink were some of the few Yuuno took to heart from the blue haired man.

As Fate gave a final bow and left to procure the requested wine, Signum appeared to take a moment to find her words. While the Enforcer turned waiter had certainly helped to break the ice, simply jumping straight into conversation was still a slight difficult. "So far, I must say you seem to have outdone yourself and my expectations. I was anticipating... perhaps dinner at a restaurant with how you described things."

Yuuno chuckled lightly, a warm feeling in his chest at Signum's words. "I was kind of hoping to give that impression. And I'll admit, I did consider going out to eat. But... This seemed more appropriate in the end." No matter how long it took them to really get to talking, a more intimate dinner sounded far better than any public setting.

"Indeed it is. And you even enlisted Testarossa's help for the job. I will admit she fits the role well enough she would do well for an undercover assignment." Signum could almost hear the groan of misfortune at her words. No doubt the blonde woman had actually done so in the past. Or if not, may very well find herself doing so sooner than later. Such turns of... fortune tended to befall the woman more often than not. "I am... curious as to who else you enlisted for this undertaking."

"Well... I-" He was interrupted as Fate returned to the dining room, a polished bucket bucket of ice with a bottle in one hand and a pair of wine glasses in the other. She worked with a grace and precision one would be content to simply observe for hours even if not being tended to by her. There was not one wasted movement in the uncorking of the bottle, nor was a single drop of wine spilled. Yuuno nodded to her gratefully, if a slight stunned. "Ah, thank you."

Signum's own reaction matched her lover's. It was quite the sight to behold to say the least. "Indeed. Thank you."

Fate simply smiled and nodded before speaking. "Dinner is nearly ready, the chef is making a few last preparations."

Before any sort of inquiry as to the identity of their supposed mystery chef could be brought up or even an attempt at conversation, a voice rang out from the kitchen. A voice which was normally quite familiar to all present. "Dinner is served lovely madame and handsome sir. I hope you enjoy your wonderful evening together and that the food is most acceptable to your palates." A voice which was currently spouting perhaps the worst faux accent any of them had ever heard.

"...Nanoha, what was that?" It seems not even Fate was anticipating such an entrance. Nevertheless, she moved to help the apron clad brunette with the hot plates of delicious food. Food which made her mouth water as though she hadn't tasted even a morsel of food in years.

Nanoha merely chuckled helplessly as she handed off one of the plates to Fate. "French? Maybe?" Turning her attention to the two flabbergasted individuals at the table, she smiled with amusement. Yuuno seemed to have been shocked at how bad her attempt at acting had been while Signum seemed to have been struck momentarily dumb at her presence. Setting down the plate before the Knight, her smile warmed. "I hope you two enjoy yourselves."

Signum shook herself from her momentary stupor when Nanoha's words finally registered to her. They held only acceptance, kindness, and reassurance. It was as if Nanoha had given her blessing in those words. If ever she had entertained the notion of Yuuno being stolen away by his former lover, this would have dashed such thoughts without question. She nodded and gave a small smile of her own. "We will. I cannot thank you enough, Takamachi. For everything." Her crystal gaze turned to Fate. "And you as well, Testarossa."

The blond woman shook her head and smiled as she set Yuuno's plate in front of him. "What are friends for?"

"Thank you both, really. I don't think I had any chance of pulling this off without your help." Yuuno gave a short bow to his two friends from his seat. Really, he doubted he could even begin to imagine where to begin to repay this kindness.

"Just don't mess up or I'll have to punish you~" Three flat stares were directed towards the White Devil and she merely laughed.

Fate began pushing the all too amused Nanoha back into the kitchen with an embarrassed expression. "Please, just have a good time." She needed to have a few words with the brunette. And get some food of their own. She was really hungry.

Signum and Yuuno sat in silence as they watched the pair leave the dining room. It took a few moments before both felt their composure finally crack and let their amusement spill forth. Yuuno's laughter melded with Signum's own, for a rare time not merely being satisfied with an amused chuckle, as Nanoha's antics shattered the nervous mood which had been steadily growing. Really, who could keep a straight face for long after seeing such a scene? Perhaps a handful at best. Were it under different circumstances, Signum may have counted herself among them. But not now.

Calming themselves, they both raised raised their wineglasses and made a toast. They did not toast anything so dramatic as themselves, nor to the unknown future. Rather, they raised a toast to friends and family. Friends and family who had allowed and helped them reach where they were. Even so minor an involvement, it was something.

As they began to enjoy the wonderfully cooked meal, it was Signum who spoke first. "I should warn my Mistress about this." She eyed a forkful of steaming lasagna critically. "If Takamachi is already at this level and continues to improve, Lady Hayate will soon be overtaken."

"I think she'd enjoy some competition in the kitchen for once. She's held that crown since we were children. Who knows? Maybe a little push from the right direction could be just what she needs to reach a new level of skill." Yuuno's challenging grin turned into one of reflection. "I suppose I'd better work on my own skills too."

Signum swallowed her bite and wiped her lips gently with a napkin before giving him a raised eyebrow. "I would highly recommend it. While your soup was quite good, one cannot live on soup alone." There was a teasing lilt in her voice. One her Mistress had been hoping to bring out even more over the years with varying degrees of success.

Yuuno's expression turned somewhere between disgruntled and playful. "I can make more than soup you know. And you really liked that potato salad too." He was rather proud of that particular dish. It had the highest success rate out of all his cooking that didn't involve something pre-packaged in any way.

"Indeed I did. And you were rather fond of the pasta I made. I would only suggest you do not become a master of sandwiches. I think we would both lose our minds if constantly subjected to the... 'Get back in the kitchen and make me a sandwich' jokes." She swirled the wine in her glass slowly as she spoke, making for a rather... unusual contrast when combined with the serious expression on her face..

Said vision nearly made Yuuno lose himself to laughter. Such words with such an appearance was nearly too much. His wide grin was plain evidence enough. "You got that from Vita didn't you?"

Signum nodded with a slight grimace. "Not even Lady Hayate understands the words coming out of her mouth at times. And it was her who introduced Vita to these sorts of things." At least the redhead had enough decency to not go out of her way to irritate the rest of the family. There was only so much she could take hearing the inane ramblings of the internet given voice. "Fortunately she is not so far gone as to neglect her duties or training."

"Fortunately. I don't think there's anything in this universe that could drive her to go that far." If there was, he did not want to be around to see it. And he was pretty sure there was no one who disagreed with his statement.

Signum set down her fork and rested her chin upon steepled fingers, giving Yuuno a curious look. "We have had barely any chance to even chat, much less have a proper talk. So tell me, how have you been Yuuno? And I am curious as to how you managed to rope both Testarossa and Takamachi into aiding you this evening."

"Ah, you see..."

It was perhaps an hour later when the candles began to burn low as they neared the end of their livelihood that the small talk was beginning to abate and a far more relaxed mood had settled upon the pair.

As requested, Yuuno had indeed spilled the beans about his little talk with Nanoha in the library and his request for her aid. Not to mention Fate's unexpected, but most welcome help. He made note to mention were it not for the blond Enforcer, he might have very well wound up wearing an old suit that would have spelled great disaster. Signum had found it all quite amusing. Particularly when told the details of the suit in question. Even she would have wondered if something was wrong with Yuuno's head had he chosen it.

In turn, Signum divulged her own antics involving getting ready for the evening. A rather lovely blush adorned her cheeks as she told of her folly expecting such an old, not even worn dress to fit her after so long. She did admit to having realized it had all ended up being a plot at the hands of her Mistress to shove her into the dress she was currently wearing. One must not expect any less of Yagami Hayate. Especially one so deprived of mischief.

The conversation flowed rather easily as they conversed about work, friends, family, and their daily goings on. It was disturbingly easy to notice just how much more... peaceful their lives had been while Hayate was away at boot camp. Signum had noted just how odd it had felt to not run the risk of being dolled up in some strange outfit at random chance.

Eventually, Fate made her reappearance to take away the empty plates and deliver to them their dessert. It was a simple, yet delicious affair. A steaming cup of hot cocoa for each. Some might wonder why such a choice after all the elegance and faux restaurant aura which had been placed into the evening.

To put it simply, sometimes simple is best.

Afterwards Fate excused herself to rejoin Nanoha so they might partake of their own dessert. There was plenty of cocoa to go around~

Still, after sitting down for so long, even the most comfortable of individuals would want to stretch their legs a bit. Signum picked up her mug and gestured towards the living room. "Shall we continue in there?" She would readily admit to the desire to kick off her shoes and sink into Yuuno's very appealing looking couch.

Yuuno nodded and picked up his own mug. "Sure. I'm feeling a bit stiff after sitting here myself." A point accentuated when he felt his back stretch to the point of popping when he stood up. it was amazing the things you failed to notice when enjoying someone's company.

Back in the kitchen, both chef and waiter gave them unseen nods of approval before smiling and turning back to their own secret little talks. Oh, would they have some fun things to tell Hayate come morning.

Now seated upon the large couch in Yuuno's living room and with steaming mugs of cocoa in hand, the mood in the air turned from a lighthearted one of relaxed comfort to one which was thicker, viscous. Not uncomfortable, but one which held considerable weight. There was a shared thought that it had been a good idea to not bring up the more serious portions of their planned talk over dinner. Had they attempted to do so, they may very well have surrendered to an unbearably awkward silence.

Taking a small sip of her delicious chocolate beverage, it was Signum who ultimately took the first step. She would be brave. She would march forth towards her goal without regrets. "I will not dance about, Yuuno. I believe know what it is that I desire. The question which remains... Is whether or not my desires and your own are compatible." Straight to the heart, like a blade aiming for the most vulnerable point of a piece of armor. Her crystalline eyes did not glimmer with any sort of discernible emotion beyond the determination she was so praised for.

Yuuno cradled the mug in his hands, allowing the heat radiating through the porcelain to warm his palms. He had put no small amount of thought into what he desired between them. It mattered not whether he was the one receiving or granting the question. He raised his green hued gaze to meet Signum's and favored her with an expression mirroring her own. "What I want... What I want is to be yours and only yours. And to make you mine and only mine."

The meaning behind such words was not lost on the Knight and it took her no small amount of effort to maintain her composed visage. The pink creeping onto her cheeks did not make it easy. "You know I have sworn myself to Lady Hayate as her Knight first and foremost. That you will have to share my attentions with her as my duty dictates." They were harsh words, but part of a truth Yuuno would have to realize, understand, and accept.

"I know. And my own duties are not so small either. The Infinite Library can't compare to Hayate, but you've already seen how demanding it is." They had to bring out all the difficulties and restrictions they could imagine. He knew Signum wouldn't hold back and neither would he. They stopped doing so on a certain Autumn night quite some time ago.

She nodded. "Yet still you would endeavor to make this prideful and headstrong Knight your own whilst swearing yourself to her?" There was little else she could ask after hearing Yuuno's words.

"I love you too much to consider doing any less." Yes, his heart belonged to the beautiful and mighty Knight seated next to him and he would do no less than his absolute best. "Are you willing to see what the future holds? With this librarian who spends so much of his time buried in old tomes and ancient artifacts?"

"I would not be here if I desired otherwise." A small smile crept onto her stern features. "I will simply have to make sure I drag you away from your books if you cannot do so for yourself." Those words garnered a chuckle from both of them as the tension abated slightly. No longer was it so thick or bearing the risk of suffocation.

Yuuno gave an awkward smile. "Please be gentle if you do. I'm only so durable." It was a mostly humorous plea, but he was also fairly certain Signum would quite readily tie him up and drag him out in a violent manner if need be.

She laughed in response to his request. Him? Not durable? "Surely you jest. I would think you to be more than capable of surviving at least being drug from your office. Or are you suggesting our matches and all the battles we've survived to be less dangerous than being hauled away from an ancient tome?"

"I don't know... There was that one time Chrono threatened to drop the _Claudia_ on the library if I was late to his daughters' birthday." The man had seemed plenty willing to do so as well and Yuuno wasn't exactly keen on testing just how strong he could make his shields. A late thesis paper had been worth it in the end.

"I doubt I will ever have need to drop a warship on you. So rest assured any collateral damage will be kept to a minimum." Signum took a long sip of her steaming drink with a smile on her lips as Yuuno sputtered in response to her casual threat. "And I hope that you would be of clear enough mind to drag me away from my own distractions as well."

He nodded after regaining his wits. It had been all too easy to imagine Signum showing up at his office one day and hauling him away with Laevatein's Schlagenform. "Of course I will. Though considering you're a lot better at keeping your head on straight, I don't think I'll have much of a chance." Her knowing grin brought a resigned expression to his face.

"At least you are aware of it." As Yuuno finished off the last of his cocoa and set down the mug, she thought back to how all this had started. Never in her wildest dreams could she have predicted this. Least of all with Yuuno Scrya. "I still cannot quite believe how much has happened since that night. Who would have thought one little spar would have brought us all the way here?" They, who had been somewhere between friends and acquaintances, were now taking the steps to brave forward into a relationship together.

Yuuno's gaze took on a somewhat faraway look. "I know what you mean. We've come so far since then, learned so much about one another. I mean, I never really knew just how much you enjoyed battle. And I never would have thought you love to read as much as you do." Some part of his mind had a feeling more than a few of his texts would find their way into the rosette's hands sooner than later. He hoped she enjoyed them, though many were rather dry reading according to some of his coworkers.

"And the discovery of just how sharp your teeth really are was hardly an insignificant one. Not to mention just how deep your love for history goes. I will admit it was not so much a surprise to see it, but the depths were far beyond what I could have imagined." While she doubted she would jump at the next chance to join him on another excavation, Signum was not opposed to accompanying him. It had been quite the experience to say the very least. And not just because they had made what had turned out to be the discovery of the century. "The excavation was... quite the eye opener."

"It really was." A tinge of red colored both their cheeks as Yuuno spoke, neither forgetting the events which had taken place near the end of their trip. It had been like a dam had burst and from it everything had spilled forth. Their feelings for each other. The emotions which had driven them. Even the building aggression from their spars which had found no release until then had come issuing forth like a great flood.

Signum gave a somewhat defeated look. "Vita was rather vocal about it when she found out. I believe she looked up every possible synonym for sex just to see how I would react. And then today, Lady Hayate decided to join in." Some might ask whether or not those two had anything better to do than torment the Knight about her love life. But the rosette knew that even if they did, they would not hesitate to tease when given the chance.

The blond man could only shake his head. The teasing he'd been subjected to no doubt was nothing compared to what those two could come up with. "Maybe they'll give up eventually?" The shake of Signum's head did not fill him with any sort of relief. He really ought to know better. Especially when it came to Hayate. If it involved relationships, she would not hesitate to pounce.

It was then that Yuuno was struck with a realization. All this talk of relationships and the various bits of teasing about sexuality had reminded him of something. It was a rather important something as well. The sort of thing they really should have talked about the morning after their first night together. His eyes widened in no small amount of concern and panic. "Yuuno? Is something wrong?" Signum did not fail to notice his change in demeanor.

His voice was not so much hesitant as it was unsure. "Signum. We... didn't use any protection that night." The notion he may have gotten Signum pregnant and hadn't even realized it until now did not sit well with him. In fact, it sent a disturbing chill down his spine and made him feel like so much scum. They hadn't exactly been concerned about safe sex when so embroiled in one another's bodies. Signum hadn't said anything either, but that didn't excuse his thoughtlessness.

They hadn't really even been sure of what they were at the time! To so carelessly bring a life into this world would be the height of stupidity. He felt his hands begin to shake as his mind ran away with itself. If Signum had conceived as a result of that night... What would they do? What would he do? He had no idea what to do in such a situation. The thought of children hadn't ever crossed his mind until now!

A slender hand, elegant yet till holding great strength fell upon one of his shaking own and stilled it. Yuuno looked up to meet Signum's eyes and saw a kind of grim resignation he had never before seen in her. Before he could he could say another word, she shook her head.

There was the closing of a door as Fate and Nanoha took their leave, having decided it was for the better to not be present and risk overhearing anything further. While they may have wanted to offer whatever assistance they could to the couple, there were things that should remain between only them until they are ready to be open about it.

After a few further moments of silence, Signum's grip on Yuuno's hand tightened and she began to speak. "Yuuno, I... am not with child." There was no breath of relief from him. He knew there had to be more. Her expression left no room for it to be so simple. "Nor will I ever be. Should we reach the point we desire children, it must be through a surrogate or adoption." She swallowed thickly. "I... am barren."

"Wh-what?" The sudden revelation had left Yuuno speechless and nearly brought his ability to think crashing into nothingness. Signum could not have children? He would have asked why she had not said anything prior or even the reason why, but she cut him off as if reading his all too clear thoughts.

"This is the first time in my memory where such a thing has ever been relevant. I will admit I did not realize it's importance until now. For that, I can only apologize." There was a sign of great disturbance upon her features. It was as if all the potential worries she could have held about admitting to her state of being were bubbling up one after the other. A measure of shock entered her visage as Yuuno slowly wrapped his free hand around the one Signum was using to hold him stead. It was a gesture which she drew further resolve from. "I could not even begin to tell you why I am like this, but I imagine the Defense Program thought such a thing was... unnecessary."

Yuuno still seemed quite shaken. He would have been extremely worried if he hadn't been. To so easily overcome a confession of this magnitude would not have spoken well for his principles. "I... I see..."

A potent and dark silence began to grow between them as their thoughts began to overcome them.

Each becoming more and more concerned with how to deal with the information now placed before them. One who felt fear or delivering it and the other who felt uncertainty in receiving it.

"Signum." It was Yuuno's voice who ultimately broke the silence. They locked eyes and saw in each other the wariness and unease. He took a deep breath and gave his answer. "Would... Would you have told me eventually? If it hadn't come out tonight?"

She nodded as firmly as she could at the moment. "I would. I could not say exactly when. But be assured that I would not have left you in the dark." Her body began to release the sharply built tension ever so slightly as she spoke.

Yuuno finally nodded. "A-Alright. Thank you for telling me." His voice was awkward, not entirely unsure but more as if trying to come to grips with something so completely unexpected. He might compare to to asking what color the sky was and being told it was not only red, but also made of sand. "Does anyone else know?"

"Shamal knows. There is very little, if anything, one can hide from her when she is your doctor. I imagine Vita and Zafira know as well, but they have never said anything. I doubt Hayate knows, and I should tell her as soon as I can." It wouldn't be fair to hide such a thug from her Mistress any further. Not after revealing it to Yuuno. "Will you... be alright with this?"

"I don't know yet. I've never really thought about it before." He took a deep breath and did his best to calm himself. "But I'm not going to jump ship just because of it." He doubted he'd ever be able to forgive himself it he did. "Let's see where we end up before we start worrying about children. I mean, technically this is our first proper date."

Signum breathed an audible sigh of relief at his words. Her deepest secret was now revealed. A secret so tucked away she had almost forgotten about it in it's entirety. And one which Yuuno would not hold against her. It filled her heart with warmth and ease. A slightly amused smile graced her features. "It is, isn't it. And a very eventful one at that."

Yuuno gave a slightly more relaxed chuckle. "You're telling me."

"But I am glad. Glad you are willing to accept me for who and what I am." She leaned forward and pressed against Yuuno's chest with one hand, warmth and mirth dancing in her eyes.

He allowed himself to be pushed backwards onto the couch as he replied. "I couldn't say I love you if I didn't." Signum now loomed over his prone form and smiled. It was a smile which made his heart dance.

"And it is that acceptance. That is part of the reason I love you as well." Signum leaned down and placed a kiss upon his lips. There was a contentment within her breast as she embraced the man she loved. It was different from the contentment she felt with her family, with her friends, or even in battle. But all the same, she luxuriated in and welcomed it with open arms. And as she felt Yuuno's arms wrap around her whilst returning her kiss, she would say in this moment she had never been happier.

* * *

><p>-EPILOGUE-<p>

"And that's the story of how one girl found true happiness. The end." There was a soft thumping sound as the speaker closed the book in her hand with a flourish.

A pair of grey eyes looked up at the reader from her place on the bed, questioning and disbelief apparent in their depths. "Aunt Hayate, I don't think that's how Cinderella ended..." The girl's soft voice made Hayate pause. "Cinderella doesn't turn into a demon lord and I thought there were supposed to be pink lasers."

"Erk" It seems she's been found out. But pink lasers, really? "I think your Aunt Nanoha has been a bad influence on you. Do your parents know about this?" They could not allow a second coming of the White Devil. Vivio was close enough, and she spent more time embroiled in tomes than in combat. Surely this child would not doom them all?

She shook her head. "Mother told me that story. And there was a lot more battles in it." The plush ferret in her arms seemed to wordlessly confirm that statement.

Hayate sighed. Leave it to Signum to tell her own child a ludicrous version of a fairy tail. But it wasn't like she would have been any better with her own children. At least hers had a demon lord. And demon lords were awesome. But she wouldn't really get anywhere debating this with a five year old. "Signum would tell you that sort of story wouldn't she." A more stern expression crossed her face. "You did brush your teeth, right? Just because you get to spend the night here while your parents are on their honeymoon doesn't mean I'll give you too much slack."

"I did." As if to prove her point, she grinned widely to show off as many teeth as she could. All nice and clean as she'd said. "Mother and father said to always listen to Aunt Hayate. Unless she talks about... cos-play?" The curious tilt of her head was not only adorable, but sent an arrow of despair through the brunette's heart.

Why? Why would her precious knight and dear friend deny her this opportunity? Surely they knew just how precious their child was and how adorable she would look in all sorts of costumes? And she's not so depraved as to break out the risque ones for a kid. Hasn't she earned some sort of trust? Maybe? Sort of?

This is Hayate, ergo... No.

"One day. One day your parents will let me show what a wonderful world cosplay is." The significance of her lamentations were lost upon the child, who merely yawned and pulled the blankets up closer around her self and her stuffed companion. "Well, it's time for you to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning light~"

As heavy lidded eyes fells closed, their owner whispered a good night of her own, "Good night... Aunt... Hayate..."

Hayate leaned over and kissed the sleeping girl on the forehead. "Good night, Lenneth." She made sure her niece was all nice and tucked in once more before taking her leave of the guest room with a smile. Really, she was honestly quite envious of Lenneth's parents. The girl was such a sweetheart.

As she made her way down the stairs, Hayate reflected on the past ten years. Things had turned into a circus when Signum and Yuuno finally came out and said they were together. Those who were already in the know, which was far more people than either of them actually realized, had given them no end of congratulation. Those who didn't... Well, everyone requested a copy of the photo depicting Chrono's reaction.

Were it not for Amy's quick thinking, the admiral may very well have choked on his drink.

Caro had stars in her eyes for the rest of the evening and it had made things very uncomfortable for Erio, who no longer is beaten black and blue every time he trains with Arf. Not completely at the very least. The dragon tamer and her knight are married now and have two children with names Hayate doesn't even want to try pronouncing. She bites her tongue almost every time she tries.

Nanoha and Fate finally made themselves official, to which everyone responded with a "Took them long enough." Signum and Yuuno had even repaid the two for their help in bringing them together with a similar dinner. Yuuno's fare wasn't quite up to par compared to Nanoha's, but everyone had agreed that Signum should never be allowed to wear that kind of suit again. It was simply too dangerous on her figure. Were she and Fate to both dress the role of waiter, there would be no survivors.

Almost two years to the day after their first meeting on the training grounds, the Librarian and the Knight officially tied the knot. Hayate had been Signum's Maid of Honor while Chrono had stood in as Yuuno's Best Man, a position everyone could tell he was honored to have. No matter how much he denied it. Such a tsundere that one~

The odd couple had their own place now, right next door in fact. There was only so far Signum was willing to go when it came to being separated from her Mistress. Yuuno wasn't opposed to the idea of living next door and both he and Zafira have often tossed around the idea of actually joining the two buildings. Whether or not they are serious or not depends on the amount of liquor they've had that evening. Yuuno usually passes out after two drinks or so and Zafira laments the man's weakness while stating Chrono can hold his drink far better.

Considering how their relationship got off the ground and how it had blazed on ahead, it was of little surprise the wedded couple continued on with their rather potent battles. Hayate still claims it is the most violent display of foreplay she's ever seen and the fact denials are few and far between only adds fuel to the fire. But regardless of whatever kink the two find in their matches, no one could deny just how positive and effect they had on both Yuuno and Signum. Yuuno was in the best shape of his life and now had more than a decent offensive repertoire to his name. Signum on the other hand was now something of a nightmare. The holes in her defenses had closed to nearly nothing and a certain controlled ferocity had begun to enter her style. Vita nearly wept with fury when Signum managed to blow through Yuuno's best shield with a single, very specialized arrow.

The fact Signum nearly blew up her husband in the process seemed lost on the redhead.

It was some four years ago that Signum and Yuuno had decided they would adopt a child. They still won't say why exactly they made the decision, but Hayate is fairly certain it had to do with the surprising arrival of Chrono and Amy's son. Of course, deciding to adopt and actually adopting are two very different beasts. Being cleared to do so and finally being granted guardianship of the infant Lenneth took nearly two full years.

They say the wait was more than worth it though. Not to mention, the look on Signum's face when she first held the girl who would call her mother was absolutely priceless. Hayate would have paid a king's ransom to have it immortalized in some form or another, but she was willing to settle for photographs and her memories of the eve.

Parenthood was... an awkward affair for the two. While they had good resources to pull on for advice and assistance, no two parents are the same and what works for one may not work for another. Yuuno nearly had a heart attack when Lenneth entered the "terrible two's" and got into a collection of tomes that were not only valuable, but not the sort of thing to be handled lightly. What still baffles him to this day is how she even got into them; an out of reach, twelve layer seal should not be the sort of thing a toddler can get into. Fortunately his daughter was unharmed and he made sure to just stuff anything remotely dangerous into a pocket dimension for storage from then on.

Signum positively adored Lenneth, no matter how much her demeanor might suggest otherwise. It was something everyone found quite endearing of the Knight. Fate in particular found it to be a wonderful sight. However much to the rosette's dismay, Lenneth did not seem to be favoring the path of the Knight like her. Then again, everyone had to remind her that the child wasn't even close to her preteen years and such an expectation couldn't really be considered realistic.

Signum and Yuuno's relationship was not without its bumps in the road and Hayate could quite easily recall a few instances when the former had stormed into the house looking more furious than an angry red dragon. Arf had informed her that Yuuno typically hid out in his office when he was in a similar mood. But in the end, they patched things up, learned from the altercation, and moved on.

Their life was still as much a bundle of chaos as it always was and Hayate certain it wouldn't stop anytime soon. And she was more than happy to watch it unfold.

And poke it when it amused her~

Hayate reached the living room and flopped down on the couch, luxuriating in it's exquisite level of comfort. She glanced to the side and saw a beat up, positively ancient looking book. It was Signum's favorite and the one she'd taken with her the night she and Yuuno had changed the status quo. For whatever reason, she'd never read it. But then again, her's and Signum's taste in reading material was rather different.

She regarded the cover, so faded she couldn't even make out any sort of image or title, and began to wonder just was was within the contents. Contents Signum had found no small measure of amusement in revealing to her husband when he finally managed to convince her to tell him. Carefully cracking open the well-read little book, she began to read with a smile on her face.

It was exactly the sort of novel she expected it to be.

The sort Signum loved so very much.

A romance novel.

-THE END-

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

There you go, the end to Signum and Yuuno's bizarre little romance. I wasn't originally planning on having the story turn out the way it did. It was supposed to just be a way to make Yuuno inso some kind of amazing combatant, but that was scrapped pretty quickly in lieu of his and Signum's interactions taking a far more non-platonic route. It was still a lot of fun to work with the cast like this. I like to think I handed the main couple well considering the non-standard angle I was looking at them from.

One thing I ran into trouble with, especially here, was that it had become so very hard to write Signum in a full romantic sense. Truth be told, Nanoha was become a lot more fun and really easy to write near the end. It was something I found rather hilarious considering how I had gone through some logic in my head saying Nanoha was actually one of the worst potential partners for Yuuno; for anyone really. Here I ended up having to be careful not to have Nanoha steal Yuuno back or turn into a Signum/Yuuno/Nanoha story. It just wouldn't have ended well at all.

Hayate was tons of fun to write, even taking the flanderized route for her character. No mater how I've portrayed her, Hayate has always been one of my favorite characters to write.

If you'd like an explanation on why it's taken so long to get this written, it's because I started a new job that has me working four ten hour shifts. It pretty much knocks me out of writing for four days of the week, and that's not including everything else that needs doing on my days off. So I've been pretty busy. Still, I hope that my next work won't take this long to complete. XD

Again thanks to KnightOfCerberus for his tremendous help and patience with me. And thanks to everyone who has read this story and those who have left reviews. They've all been a great boost to my spirit. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm overjoyed you kept with it through to the end with me.

Until next time~


End file.
